Kevin Laliberte
Editor, Smoky River Express

It was interesting to learn last week that Ontario’s Liberal government has asked Transport Canada to release the latest studies on seatbelts in school buses following an accident in Brampton, Ont., which left several children injured. An official with the federal agency went on record last week by suggesting results of all studies show that children are much safer in buses that are designed to protect them in the event of an accident than they would be with seatbelts holding them rigidly in place. “If there’s a head-on collision, children slide right into the seat in front of them, which acts almost like a baseball mitt, and pushes the child back. Everything is very flexible and fluid in that situation,” says Transport Canada’s Fiona MacLeod. It’s a rationale which ties in closely with the philosophy that children who are strapped in with a lap belt stand a much greater risk of injury than those without. That’s based on the fact that a child’s upper body stands the risk of receiving a much greater impact into the back of the seat in front of them with a lap belt on. The end result would be a predicted increase in serious head injuries to children in the event of a collision. This synopsis isn’t exactly sitting well will bus safety advocates who have lobbied long and hard for the government to implement mandatory seatbelt use in school buses. Joining the fray is Ontario Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield, who says she wants to review the seatbelt issue once again because of the recent accident just north of Toronto. “We just can’t not look at it again in light of an incident like this,” Cansfield told reporters. “We can’t say that just because it’s safe, that’s it. It’s not the answer I would want as a parent.” On the flip-side, school buses, unlike cars, are specially designed to protect children in the event of a collision, and there are fears and concerns by many they could make it more difficult to free the kids after an accident. But Cansfield is going again the legislative grain by requesting to look at the latest data from Transport Canada in an effort to open the debate once again on the concept of seatbelts in school buses with her counterparts in other provinces and Ottawa. So, what exactly is the verdict from other politicians to this contentious issue, you ask? NDP Leader Howard Hampton says the provincial law requiring one seatbelt for every passenger in a vehicle should also apply to school buses. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? He, like many other politicians, wonders what the rationale for treating school buses differently than other motor vehicles is. It’s a question he believes to be answered. Closer to home in Alberta, there’s no disputing the fact that our education system has a very good safety record when it comes to transporting our children to and from school every day. Much of that credit goes to the dedicated bus drivers out there – the majority of which are parents – who always put our children’s safety first and foremost. Despite their best efforts and unblemished driving records, unfortunate accidents are do occasionally happen, sometimes resulting in serious injuries to our children. As a parent of three children, I support the concept that seatbelts save lives – even on a bus – and find it extremely difficult to swallow the rationale influencing Transport Canada’s bus safety regulations. While I understand that head injuries would be a concern with the use of lap belts, I still believe it’s better than having my child smash into the rear of the seat in front of them. Then again, why not ease those fears by coming up with a bus seat which incorporates adjustable shoulder/lap belt restraints to effectively protect the varying sizes of children requiring bus transportation. Sure, there’s a significant expense involved with such a plan. But isn’t it well worth it considering the cargo? We are after all talking about the safety and well-being of our children for heaven’s sake!

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