School District Kicks Off Plan To Equip All Buses With Seatbelts
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Some kids heading back to school next week will notice changes on the bus.
South Washington County Schools is one of the first districts in Minnesota to add seat belts to their buses.
Over the summer, the district bought ten new buses with shoulder seat belts. It's the first step in a decade-long plan to switch over their entire fleet. For transportation leaders, the purchase is an investment worth making.
"Whatever you can do to provide students with more safety, we should absolutely be doing it," said Director of Transportation Carrie Olson.
The shoulder straps also provide another benefit for bus drivers.
"There's also a safety concern when kids are up moving around the bus. There's a safety concern for that child and the kids around them," Olson said. "Every time the driver can keep their eyes on the road and not have to worry about looking in back, it's safer for everybody."
New buses are equipped with a device to cut seatbelts in the event of a crash. This move makes the district one of the first in Minnesota to start the process of adding seat belts to all school buses and they may be getting ahead of the curve. Earlier this year, state legislators introduced a bill that would require new buses to be equipped with them.
Gabrielle Pieper has three children in the district. Although she likes the idea, she still has some concerns.
"I love the safety aspect. I think every child needs to be safe in any vehicle," Pieper said. "If an accident were to happen … is it going to be a quick response time? Is it going to be a quick response time getting 70 kids off that bus?"
The district was able to offset the cost of these new buses by ordering different bus engine models and reconfiguring parts.
When it is all is said and done, they'll pay between $2,000 and $3,000 more for each new bus.
