Letter of the day: School bus safety: Focus on seats, not belts

Last update: February 27, 2008 - 6:31 PM

As a retired Eden Prairie school bus driver, I can tell you that spending 28 years with my "precious cargo" was a thrilling experience. Their safety was always my top concern, and still is today. The tragic loss of four budding lives is a driver's worst nightmare. As always, in this kind of horror, safety resurfaces.

Much has been said and written about safety belts and related issues. I would like to add this: Turn the seats around to face the rear. Raise the seat height to prevent whiplash. That would reduce injuries because the impact force would be absorbed by the seats. A wide-angle mirror mounted above the back door, or a TV camera with an in-dash monitor for the driver, would monitor passenger behavior. Seat belts should not be used. They would be unused or used as weapons and would make it extremely difficult to evacuate the bus quickly in case of emergency.

We pray for the families, and we pray this never happens again.

JUDY BEST, EDEN PRAIRIE

Recent Letters stories

Readers Write for Sunday, Sept. 27 - February 27, 2008

Readers Write for Sunday, Sept. 27 - In all the talk about the assumed exorbitant costs of health care reform proposals currently on the table, I have three questions that I have not heard addressed: More

Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments

New ideas for the public sector

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to create a more efficient Minnesota. Facing large budget deficits at the state, county and local levels, Minnesotans are seeing with new clarity that the public sector must adapt to new economic realities. Only the smartest, most strategic reinvention will ensure that our tax dollars are spent on the best programs and services. Read more

About Opinion Exchange

Opinion Exchange is produced by the Editorial Department, which is dedicated to hosting the discussion on a range of issues of interest to Star Tribune readers online and in print. In its new format, it's our hope that Opinion Exhange will create a more dynamic dialogue between Star Tribune readers and the Editorial Board. Many individual posts will be written and signed by members of the Editorial Board and will reflect their own opinions. Daily editorials will continue to represent the institutional voice of the newspaper and be researched and written by the Editorial Department, which is independent of the newsroom.

Subscribe to RSS|Learn more about RSS