Dallas (WBAP/KLIF News) – Five children were killed when a school bus in Chattanooga, Tennessee hit a tree and split apart Monday. Workers spent hours pulling kids from the wreckage.
In Dallas, Dallas County Schools runs about two thousand buses. The organization installed seat belts several years ago at a cost of $20 million.
“My reaction was one of profound sadness,” says Dallas County School Board President Larry Duncan. “Our hearts and our prayers go out to all of the families of those children.”
Duncan says Dallas County continuously reviews its safety precautions and is currently replacing lap belts with three-point belts that run over the shoulder. He says two thirds of buses have the new belts, but the process is time-intensive.
Instead of replacing the belt itself, Dallas County must replace the entire seat. The seat must then be anchored to the floor of the bus again.
“We’re going to go the extra mile, whatever is humanly possible,” Duncan says. “We’re going to have all the latest equipment on our buses.”
Duncan says he “fundamentally disagrees” with people who say seat belts are not necessary on school buses. Texas lawmakers passed a law to provide funding for schools to add seat belts 2009, but potential funding was diverted to other parts of education in 2011.
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