The debate over School Bus seatbelts

I find it hard to understand why many people seem unable to look at events in the long term.  All are so quick to demonstrate their expert knowledge in things right now but none seem to even consider what that decision could mean for the future.  Is it really that hard to understand that any decision made today will always have an effect on events to come or is it just me?

It’s the same thing happening with the debate over whether school buses should be equipped with shoulder lap belts or not.  According to an Arkansas Matters.com article titled Seatbelts on Buses, which list the pros and cons regarding this issue   “The pros- Prevent injury or death, Educate children to buckle up, Improves behavior on school buses.  The cons- They are not effective in most crashes, Prevents students from getting out of the bus in case of a fire or high water, Riding in a bus students are above the impact zone of crash” and according to and article by Joyce Kelly titled Waltham school board postpones bus seat belt vote, their main concern is having shoulder lap seatbelts are “an more expensive option” than contracting for buses without.  This article also reports that this county has other major concerns including that is “where the buses would be garaged” because according to Mayor Jeannette McCarthy “any school location would require a zoning change”

So let me get this right, the main concern about providing shoulder lap belts on school buses is their non-effectiveness, stops students from leaving their seats if they crash into a large body of water or bus catches on fire, they are above the crash impact zone and it would cost more money.  While these many sound like rational reasons in the short term, they leave a lot to be desired for the long term.  If we are willing to donate our hard earned money to give Wall Street and banks bonuses then we should be willing to pay more to keep our kids safe.  We could even go a little further and have an activation switch near the driver that would release the beats in the case of fire or crashing into water.  Smashing your head into the seat in front of you regardless of how high it is or how much padding is an unnecessary risk when shoulder lap belts would hold them steady.  Ask any parent if they would mind spending more in taxes to insure that the belts are in the buses and I am sure you will find a majority that would not mind.  We spend more on the newest electronic equipment than we would on arming the buses with shoulder lap belts.  We need to ask ourselves which is more important, the newest iPhone or our children arriving home safe and secure.

But the number one thing that we should focus on which does not seem apparent now is the long term affects that teaching children to buckle up on school buses will have overall.  Think about a child who has been taught to buckle up, it becomes second nature and a good habit to break.  What that means in the long term is they will instantly buckle each and every time they board a vehicle whether going to and from school or just going to the mall with friends.  The traffic deaths that are now attributed to people failing to buckle up will decrease because these children will have it in their nature to do so.  So many long term effects that can protect all of us overall that truly deserves an honest look.  No amount of money is worth the life of a child and the sooner we learn that as adults the sooner we will come to know that short term decisions have long term consequences.