Las Vegas Sun

November 10, 2009

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Editorial: Safety versus money

Monday, April 11, 2005 | 9:15 a.m.

Parents who give their children a ride to school in the family car make sure (or should make sure) that their children are buckled up for the trip. But when children board school buses, there are no seat belts. As statistics show that drivers and passengers are safer by far when they wear their seat belts, why is it that school buses don't have them?

The answer is money. Only five states require their buses to come equipped with seat belts. When the issue is raised, the cost issue usually wins out. Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas, is raising the issue in the Nevada Legislature. His Assembly Bill 411 would require seat belts in school buses by 2006.

The familiar refrain about money, however, is being heard. Lobbyists for the state's school districts expressed concern because the bill contains no provision for state funding. In Clark County, it would cost an extra $8.2 million to $11.7 million to install lap belts with shoulder straps. Statewide, the cost is projected to be about $19 million.

We have just one question for those who evaluate seat belts according to their impact on the budget. What is the life of a child worth?

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