Wednesday, March 26, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- Two mothers -- one from Las Vegas and the other from Reno -- urged an Assembly committee to consider the safety of children and not the cost of installing seat belts in school buses.
But school officials told the Assembly Transportation Committee Tuesday that the real "danger zones" are outside the buses, which are far safer than other vehicles.
Judith Christi, a Las Vegas mother who is the prime mover behind Assembly Bill 205, said, "'You have to look at the safety of the child first and not what it costs us."
Ann Kinney of Reno, an emergency medical technician and a mother, said the seat belts need to be installed to prevent deaths and serious injuries. There's a double standard, she complained, because there are no seat belts in the school buses but the children must be buckled up when they ride in a car.
The committee did not take action on the bill.
Estimated costs of seat belts for the Clark County School District would be $1.2 million each time it replaces a fleet of buses. It would cost Douglas County $2.1 million and Elko $720,000. Other districts did not submit cost estimates.
Paul Flemming, associate superintendent of the Washoe County School District, said, "Cost is not an issue." But he said a study by the National Transportation Safety Board "concluded seat belts (on school buses) do not prevent or lessen injuries."
Flemming said the lap-type belt, which would be required on all new school buses starting in 1999, can exert pressure on the torso of the young student. And it would propel the head of the student into the seat ahead of him in an accident.
Flemming and officials from other school districts said there are more problems in loading and unloading students who may walk in front of the bus or into traffic.
Charlotte Brothwell of the Nevada Classified School Employees urged the committee to amend the bill to require each school district to give training to the students on bus safety.
Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, who introduced the bill at Christi's request, said school bus seat belts are optional in the counties in New York and are mandatory in New Jersey. He said injuries can be "dramatically reduced" with seat belts.
But school bus drivers might have their hands full requiring children to buckle up, suggested opponents of AB205. Kinney said that's the responsibility of the student and the parents. The driver would notify the parents and a child who did not use the seat belt would not be allowed to ride the bus in the future.
Kinney also said it was not the responsibility of the bus driver to evacuate the bus in an accident except in the case of fire or if the bus is submerged in water. She said the driver should keep the children quiet until emergency medical help arrives.
Christi and Kinney said they won't let their children ride school buses unless there are seat belts.
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