Lawmakers push for seat belts in school buses

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Some Indiana lawmakers want the drive to school safer for children. School bus safety has been a topic of nationwide debate.

The crash you see in the video to the left of the screen tossed an adult to the floor of this bus. And it’s images like these that get burned into a parent's mind.   

They want to know their child is safe stepping onto a bus. 

 And one group of Indiana lawmakers has the same fear. They want seat belts on all school buses across the state.

“I think we’ll follow the path of the legislators. They’re the ones who write the laws. Whatever they decide, we’ll implement,” said Franklin Fennell, Director of Facilities, Support and Transportation, Vigo County School Corporation.

13,000 buses troll Indiana's roadways with your children everyday. 197 of those buses are right here in Vigo County.   

In October, a bus hydroplaned and crashed in Clinton County in Northern Indiana.   

Early last year, another school bus slammed into a bridge abutment, causing casualties.   

But does the safety outweigh the cost?   

Estimates say it would cost anywhere from 10 to 15 thousand dollars a bus to add seat belts. That's over a hundred million dollars statewide.

“The price tag associated with outfitting a bus is expensive. But if it’s found that’s the safest way to go, and that’s what the state wants to do, that’s what we’ll do,” said Fennell.

Fennell thinks it's best to allow school bus manufacturers to have a say in the matter.

“I would defer to having the bus manufacturers and what their safety resources show.That’s their (the legislators) decision and our responsibility is implementing what they decide and we’ll do that,” said Fennell.   

People are divided on the seatbelt issue. Some say it helps cut down on children misbehaving while on board. Others say they can be used as weapons.