In response to the recent bus crash in Houston that killed two students, Texas lawmakers are again calling to make seal belts mandatory. An earlier state effort to provide students with lap belts and shoulder harnesses stalled due to a lack of funding. As of now, there is no federal rule that requires seat belts on school buses. Texas lawmakers have required school buses purchased after 2010 to include seat belts for each passenger, but this rule only applied if the state paid for the buses. The only school buses currently outfitted with seat belts in the Lone Star State are designed to transport special needs students. About 1.4 million pupils ride school buses in Texas each day, and most don’t wear seat belts of any kind. The state initially promised $10 million in grants, with four districts receiving $400,000 to buy buses, but budget cuts ended the program. The Texas Association for Pupil Transportation has considered adopting a position to encourage, but not require, lap belts and shoulder harnesses on school buses. Currently, only six states require seat belts on large school buses.
Forgetting that Charlotte spins webs to save a talented pigs and the Friendly Neighborhood Web-slinger frequently saves those in peril, an Indiana woman fled her car when confronted with a spider. The only problem is that the car was in motion and her 9-year-old son was in the backseat. The Indiana mother was backing out of her driveway when she saw the arachnid hitching a ride on her shoulder. The extra passenger caused the mother to panic and she jumped from her moving vehicle. Her son attempted to control the car by leaping into the front seat but accidently hit the gas pedal when trying for the brakes, sending the vehicle into a school bus. Police reported the boy was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. No passengers were on board the bus at the time of the wreck.
Concerned students and parents have notified district authorities to safety concerns that area bus companies and schools are packing too many kids into school bus seats. One teenage rider documented the overcrowding on a bus transporting students to and from one local school. The photo showed six children crammed into one 39-inch seat. The 11th grader reported that incidents like this have occurred on a daily basis. Complaints have been made to school workers, yet nothing has changed. The Detroit head of schools hasn’t categorized bus overcrowding as an issue in need of addressing, as he is simply thrilled to have so many kids enrolled in school.
Once again in the Hoosier State, a central Indiana bus driver was charged with driving a bus while intoxicated and endangering a minor. The district has suspended the driver and recommended full dismissal after the school bus veered off the road and slammed into a utility pole while picking up students. Authorities claimed that the driver had slurred speech and glassy eyes. The driver told police that she had ingested painkillers and muscle relaxants the night before.
