Recently,there has been a debate over whether small school buses should implement a safety belt system on their bus in the wake of the tragic incident last Thursday,when an 8 year old boy was killed when he was flung out of a school bus.Now when I am talking about the school bus,I am not referring to the big kind but the one that looks like a mini van which you can enter from the back.
His family members said his death could have been prevented if there was a safety belt system on the bus and I think that is probably true.I think it is about time there there is a safety belt system being implemented on small school buses to ensure the safety of the young children.When I hear stories about a tragic accident,I feel very sad especially when there are children involve whether they are travelling in car or other modes of transportation.You may ask then is it realistic to have safety belt on every school buses and wouldn't it be more expensive to implement them.Of course it is.Industry players said such additional features would mean buses would have to take in fewer children,which could lead to an increase in bus fees by some 50 percent.That is a lot of of increase in the bus fees but many parents share the same views that their child safety should be the primary concern instead of the bus fees.You can find some ways to earn more money to pay for the fees but I dont think you can find another way to restore someone life if he/she is dead right.
Here are the statistics for seat-belt offences over the last three years or so.The Traffic Police had issued an average of 4,000 summonses a year for seat-belt offences.Out of these summonses,about 30 were issued per year for child-restraint related offences.For me,I think that is a worrying statistics.In this case,I also think that the parents has a role to play as well.If they own a car and they have young children at the same time,they should constantly remind and teach their children the dangers on the roads and the importance of wearing a safety belt,in fact everyone should wear a safety belt whether they are children or adults.That is what they are made for,to act as an added protection just in case you encounter with an accident.In fact,I think you can find child car seats or booster seats to ensure the safety of the child.This usually applies to those kids under the age of 8.Booster seats help you sit up high enough so the shoulder part of seat belt fits properly across your chest.Wearing your seat belt properly will dramatically increase your chance of surviving a motor vehicle collision.In America alone,a study shows that for every one percent increase in safety belt use,172 lives and close to $100 million in annual injury and death costs could be saved.Back to the situation is our country,LTA is expected to come up with recommendations on this issue later this year.
As for me,I always make use of the safety belt whenever I am in a car,whether I am seating at the front or at the back,and my mum always think Im trying to put some act or something but I dont care what she thinks because you never know when an accident could happen.As for the plan of implementing safety belts on school buses,I really hope that the LTA will go ahead with it because young children are the most vulnerable when there is an accident.Accidents involving school buses are generally low in Singapore but when it happens and when a young child lost his life to something that can be avoided,something has to be done.You do have to agree that sometimes,you dont have to be the one who cause the accident to be in an accident,so please do tell your parents to be extra careful on the road when they are driving and not to rush when driving.
Till next time,take care and travel safely.
*The report is taken from ChannelNewsAsia.
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