Accident raises issue of seat belts for school buses
May 10, 2005

After onlookers scrambled to pull injured children from a school bus involved in a fatal crash near Kansas City, the question came up time and again: Why aren't seat belts required on school buses?

Two people in cars were killed Monday morning in Liberty, Mo., when a school bus carrying more than 50 children crashed into their vehicles. Twenty-three children were hurt. Two remained in critical condition Tuesday.

The grade schoolers were tossed from their seats, suffering injuries ranging from bumps and bruises to broken bones and internal damage. Vickie Whattoff, a grocery store worker who rushed to help the children, wondered if some of the injuries could have been prevented if the bus had seat belts.