An editorial from The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — For years, the conventional wisdom has been that children on a school bus were safer without seat belts.
While that probably left many of us scratching our heads, many safety officials recommended more of a “compartmentalization” approach, where closely-spaced, padded seats form sort of a protective barrier around the young passengers – sort of like an egg carton.
Safety officials also have pointed out that lap and shoulder belts, if not used properly, can cause injuries on impact and could impede a speedy evacuation. In both cases, belts would require more supervision on the part of the bus driver, who already has his or her hands full.
But all of that is about to change…
