Is Your Preschooler Ready for the School Bus? Are You?

Riding with Strangers

Your young preschooler may be ready for class, but is he or she ready for the bus? How many changes can a preschooler handle at once? How many of those changes can a parent handle without undue stress? My preschooler, who has an expressive speech delay, is eligible to attend preschool at the public school three days a week. His speech has greatly improved since we had his upper lip frenulum cut. My greatest worry now is the school bus. In Massachusetts, school buses do not have to have seat belts.

Preschoolers and Transportation Safety

I would never even consider moving my car one inch without my preschooler safely secured in his car seat. Why then would I allow him to get on any type of bus or van without the same type of safety features?

Massachusetts recently passed the Booster Seat law which extends the baby and preschool child safety laws to include older children. The law requires children ages five seven who are under four feet and nine inches tall to use a booster seat. While some may lament the extra cost and seeming inconvenience, I applaud the law. Studies have shown that injury rates for children in that group, are reduced by 58 percent with the use of a booster seat compared to seat belt use. (Mass.gov)

Why then are school children allowed to sit in a school bus, packed like little sardines, without seat belts?

Slippery Safety Loops and School Buses

Information about seat belt use on school buses from two federal agencies is conflicting. Two agencies, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offer different views about seat belt safety and school buses.

The NHTSA offers that the compartmentalization system of cushioned seats in front and back provide protection.