The premier, and the Minister for Planning in Infrastructure are frigging IDIOTS!

[logansrogue]

There's a school bus in this city where there are actually seatbelts on buses. It was involved in a crash. There was a little girl on that bus called Kayla who was held back from flying out the window by her seatbelt. She could have died, so many kids on that bus could have, but they didn't because they were *all* in belts. She told her story on the radio this morning.

Geoff Gallop says that there's insufficient evidence in the crash to call for installing seatbelts in every school bus in the state.

Alannah McTiernan says that buses are much safer than cars (they're both motor vehicles on a road, I don't see the difference) and that they need to research and learn from the accident, learn from the data, plan it all and approve of it, committee blah blah blah before implementing the seatbelts. AND... if they DID put the fifty-million to use tomorrow, it would still take 5 to 7 years to fit all the seatbelts in the buses.

Sure, buses, statistically, crash less often than cars. But ocean liners sink less often than cars are involved in crashes - does that mean you don't fit them with lifeboats? And when they're your *young*, your *future*, in those buses, wouldn't you do ANYTHING to keep them safe?

It absolutely mystefies me. *shakes head*

All I can say is that Kayla is a remarkably brave little girl.

Comments

[theriverdark.livejournal.com]

Seat belts on school buses are a difficult and tricky issue, with plenty of arguments for and against. Doing a quick Google, I found this article which shows just how tricky.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Well, for a starters, aides are a great idea for younger students (though violence isn't quite as widespread here in Perth as it is in America. In the overly large schools in the less privleged areas, there can be some trouble but for the most part buses are relatively peaceful here, other than your usual hormonal chatting and screeching that goes on). I don't see why both belts and aides can be used.

And there's no question that that belt saved Kayla's life.

[berenicepotter.livejournal.com]

I have always thought about it... here there is ZERO seatbelts in buses...damn, all buses here are SHIT.

[sugaryfun.livejournal.com]

I always wondered why road safety seems to go out the window (no pun intended)when it comes to buses. Seatbelts alone would not be enough, though, because here in Brisvegas at least, buses at peak times, particularly those on routes that service schools, are too full. Many people, especially children (as school students are requested not to sit if adult passengers are standing) have to stand up, so if there's an accident they'll fall all over the place. On the other hand, I suppose if it's really, really crowded the crush of bodies might cushion the impact.

Adult Buses

[flyingreptile.livejournal.com]

We don't put seat belts on adult buses either.

Re: Adult Buses

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

We should. It's a moving vehicle.

Statistics.

[flyingreptile.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that there should be worldwide statistics on the effectiveness of seat belts in buses. It seems simple to find the frequency of crashes where seat belts would/did increase injuries and fatalities v.s. reduce injuries. We shouldn't have to extrapolate from this one crash or wait for data to be collected. I would be surprised if there was no pre-existing study into the effectiveness of seatbeats in buses that was based on hard data.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Makes you want to beat their heads together. How can they even think that no seatbelts could be safer than having seatbelts? Seriously, what are they smoking? And could they look like bigger idiots for spouting such rubbish? I don't think so.

In England

[cedargrove.livejournal.com]

It is law that coaches/busses carrying school age children have seatbelts for the children to wear. This is a good thing and I am glad that we have this law. IMHO it should be a law adopted around the world for the safety of our children... perhaps someone should point your minister person in the direction of England.

Re: In England

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

I will if I write a letter. Thanks!