"It makes me feel negligent that I haven't have more questions about what's happening on David's bus."

 

Lynne Sobel's son David, rides a bus from Lincoln Middle School every afternoon. David says the bus he's usually on do have seat belts, but no one uses them.

 

"Ever since 2003 all the buses in Alachua County do come with seat belts in them. As for the bus driver he has this seat belt cutter just in case of an emergency."

 

Only the old buses do not have seatbelt in them. These buses actually have shoulder seat belts that can also be used for pre-k and kindergarten. Dr. Harold Harrison is the Director of Transportation in Alachua County. he explains how parents shouldn't worry about their children's safety.

 

"They are safer than driving in a private vehicle. Their bodies are raised so that if a car hits the bus, the impact is going to be underneath the bus. It's not going to be caving into the side of the bus."

 

According to Edith Miles,a dispatcher at the D-O-T, some of the crashes involving school buses are caused by cars slamming into them.

 

"People have not been paying a attention, on the phone talking to someone, where they run into the side of the bus, they run into the back of the bus."

 

David says he's witnessed distracted drivers while riding on the bus to and from school.

 

"Going down 43rd, over near zaxby's, a car will come in front and he will slam on the brakes making us go forward."

 

Florida is actually one out of 6 states that require new buses to have seat belts in them.

 

By: Yaremi Farinas