On Saturday, March 19, a school bus carrying 21 high school students and 6 adults, overturned on Interstate 65 in Indiana after being sideswiped by another vehicle. The bus was transporting the passengers to a state semi-final basketball game where the student-athletes would be competing. According to Indiana State Police, the driver of the other vehicle spilled her drink and lost control of the car, resulting in the crash. Fortunately, none of the passengers were in critical condition. If the passengers were wearing seatbelts during the crash, would the story be different?

It is a known fact that car seatbelts save lives so, why not put them in school buses as well? That may not be as wise as you think. As said by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 5 children die in school bus crashes every year. Analyses also done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration state that requiring seat belts in large buses may increase fatalities from 5 students to potentially 19 students in the U.S. annually. Several Bob Jones High School bus drivers agree that seat belts may not be very safe. “During my bus driver training, the instructors explained that seat belts would increase the possibility of the students getting hurt,” Mr. Randy, a current Bob Jones bus driver said. “Since there are more kids riding on a bus than in a car, the likelihood that they would be in danger while wearing seatbelts is greater. It would be harder to evacuate the students if there was ever any danger.” Seat belts also decrease the amount of students able to fit on the buses, which forces kids to resort to less safe modes of transportation, such as riding in the car or even walking. “My mom drives me to school in the morning and I ride home in the afternoon by bus. I don’t really feel like any one way of getting home is more dangerous in the other. They both feel the same,” Zayanah Khan, a freshman at Bob Jones High School, says. “No matter if you ride the bus or in a car, safety should always come first.” Based on the student’s best interests, they should decide what their most comfortable, safe, and enjoyable transportation should be.