| The yellow school bus has become an American | | | | States, 17,000 children are treated in the |
| icon. It elicits fond memories of school days. Riding | | | | emergency room as a result of an injury on a |
| a yellow bus to school has become a right of | | | | school bus annually. |
| passage in American culture. Featured in movies | | | | Crashes only account for 42% of injuries. One |
| like Forrest Gump, the school bus symbolizes the | | | | quarter of accidents occur when children are |
| start of a young child leaving home to adventure | | | | entering or exiting the bus. The other accidents |
| off into the world. Children watch their older | | | | occur from slips and falls, sudden stops, sharp |
| siblings board the school bus daily and eagerly | | | | turns, or roughhousing. Most injuries are not life |
| await the time when they will be able to join. | | | | threatening as they are minor cuts and sprains. |
| Since the yellow bus is such a large part of our | | | | Researchers also noted that the injuries represent |
| culture, we don't stop to question how safe it is. | | | | a very small fraction of all the 23.5 million children |
| When the standard bus model was first | | | | who travel by bus. |
| introduced, our cars were not equipped with | | | | With this data, there is a strong argument for |
| extensive safety features such as seat belts and | | | | safety seat belts on school buses according to |
| airbags. Therefore, the bus was perfectly good | | | | researchers at Columbus Children's Hospital's |
| vehicle for its time. However, now that our cars | | | | Center for Injury Research and Policy in Ohio. |
| are much safe, should the bus be renovated? | | | | However, there are worries that the school |
| Early research into injuries from school buses only | | | | districts cannot afford the added expense. Not |
| looked at the number of bus crashes. However, | | | | only would the cost of the seat belts cause a |
| injuries can occur on a bus without it crashing. | | | | financial burden, but when seat belts are added, |
| When including injuries that happen on school | | | | the capacity that the school bus will be able to |
| buses that have not crashed, the previous | | | | hold will be reduced. Thus, districts will need to |
| number of bus injuries doubled. In the United | | | | purchase additional buses to cover the offset. |