What Can Happen to Kids During a School Bus Rollover

When we try to educate people about what happens to kids inside a school bus when it rolls over, it’s an uphill battle. There is so much misinformation out there designed to make parents panic or think it could never happen to their child, but that’s what we’re here for at SafeGuard4Kids, to call out the excuses for exactly what they are.

The harsh reality is that children in a school bus rollover are tossed around the interior of the bus like clothes in a dryer. They strike each other, the ceiling, the seats, and the walls. It is common sense that uninjured children can evacuate more quickly than injured – or even unconscious – children. Being restrained in their seats is the best protection possible for children in this kind of crash. And rollovers are a lot more common than you think.  According to NHTSA, in the past five years, school buses have been involved in rollover accidents more than 100 times per year.

At CAPE, the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation, SafeGuard4Kids conducted three rollover crash scenarios. The first demonstrates what happens when no children are buckled up.

The second demonstration introduces lap-shoulder belts to some of the “students” on board. Others remain unbuckled and vulnerable.

Finally, see the clear difference between a bus full of unbuckled students and a bus full of students in seat belts. How can anyone argue that kids are worse off being belted?

Some like to paint a picture of kids trapped in their belts with the children hanging upside down and unable to get out as an excuse. They don’t realize that the latest seat belts are just like the ones in your car and have to meet federal standards so that kids can evacuate at the click of a button – even upside down.

No More Excuses™. It’s time for lap-shoulder belts on school buses.

 

 

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