The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services voiced displeasure with a recent Parade Magazine article that calls into question how safe school buses really are when many are not equipped with seat belts.

The magazine published "Are School Buses Unsafe" in its March 21 edition. NASDPTS President Charlie Hood wrote to Executive Editor Lamar Graham that the article "may mislead parents into believing school buses are unsafe, when the exact opposite is true."

"All credible national studies of school bus safety have concluded that school buses, with or without seat belts, are a far safer way for children to get to and from school than any other means," wrote Hood in the letter, citing previous federal research conducted by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Hood added that the article failed to mention this research or statistics from national safety and school transportation organizations such as NASDPTS. On average, five or six students die each year onboard school buses during crashes compared to, on average, 800 students who die while using other modes of travel to and from school.

"Those are staggering statistics parents should know and understand," Hood added.

The article attributes the lack of seat belts to a lack of money, but stated that adding seat belts to an existing bus would cost $15,000. Meanwhile, installing them in a new one would only cost $1,500. In his letter, Hood pointed out that the $1,500 amount only applies to installing two-point lap belts in a newly manufactured school bus.

According to school bus vehicle and seat manufacturers, installing preferred three-point lap/shoulder belts in school buses costs between $7,000 and $16,000 per bus depending on the size. Thomas Built Buses added that school buses equipped with the lap/shoulder restraints may cost up to $750 more per seat than in a bus not equipped with the lap/shoulder systems.

The NASDPTS letter also discussed compartmentalization benefits provided by high, well-padded, closely-spaced school bus seats that absorb crash forces.