In response to the horrific bus crash in Huntsville in 2006, Governor Bob Riley put together a school bus safety committee, to determine if seat belts on the buses would make the children safer.
For two years, the Tuscaloosa County school system has had bus number 165 equipped with seat belts. It's one of about a dozen statewide that for three years will be analyzed by the University of Alabama, as a part of the governor's seat belt study group. "Every two weeks I go to the University, give them the DVR of the video of the bus, they review it, capture it and study the data from that," says Brad Hartsfield, the route supervisor for the Tuscaloosa County schools. He says the study has been a good opportunity and even learning process.
"I've enjoyed the seat belt bus; I hope they keep it,” says one of the supporters of the seat belt bus, Brenda Fuller. She says compared to a bus without the restraints, it offers more control.
"It keeps the kids seated, they're not jumping all over the place, hanging out the windows, it does help, it does help," says Fuller.
School officials say that the children who ride on the seat belt bus and their parents, have all responded very well to this study.
"Kids are really excited to have seat belts on the bus and the parents really want to be a part of the study and I think most would like to keep the seat belts on the bus," adds Hartsfield.
Whether or not these seat belts will stay on board is up to the findings of the study, which is in its third year. The results of the study are expected to be released in October 2010.
