Local lawmakers working to make seat belts mandatory on school buses

There are currently only eight states that require school buses to be equipped with seat belts.

Washington is not one of them.

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended seat belts be required on all new school buses, something Washington Representative Gina Mosbrucker has been pushing for in the state legislature.

"I predicted that this would be a 5-year bill and this is going to be year four. So I think we are getting a lot closer every year," said Mosbrucker.

A demonstration of a head-on school bus crash from test facility CAPE showed what could happen with passengers wearing lap-shoulder seat belts as compared to passengers who were not wearing seat belts. The video shows unbelted crash-test dummies slamming into seat backs and being tossed out of the seats and around the bus.

The dummies with lap-shoulder seat belts were jolted forward but remained in their seats.

School bus head-on crash-test video. Scroll past the video window to continue reading.

Despite some lawmakers' efforts to make seat belts required, not everyone is on board.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for instance, said that compartmental seats on school buses provide the safety needed in case of a crash.

KIRO 7 showed the crash test video to a bus driver and dispatcher for the Highline School District to get his comments. He said it's concerning, and even on smaller buses equipped with seat belts, safety is paramount.

He said the compartmental seats are built to help make it safer for students in case of an accident.

"They basically have crash barriers on the front of each seat. So, if they are sitting properly in their seats straight, chances of them getting hurt (are) slim to none," said Theo White.

A bill to make school buses be equipped with seat belts in Washington state will once again make its way through the legislature this session.

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