[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 14, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SEAT BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 1997

  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to 
require seat belts on school buses. Since this is National SAFE KIDS 
Week, this is an appropriate time to introduce a bill to improve the 
safety of school bus travel for our Nation's children.
  My legislation would prohibit the manufacture, sale, delivery, or 
importation of school buses that do not have seat belts, and impose 
civil penalties for those that do not comply. Our Nation's 
schoolchildren deserve safe transportation to and from school, and 
their parents deserve peace of mind. We have a responsibility to 
provide both.
  National SAFE KIDS Week is dedicated to preventing unintentional 
childhood injury, the No. 1 killer of children ages 14 and younger. 
Since 1985, over 1,478 people have died in school bus-related crashes--
an average of 134 fatalities a year. School bus occupants accounted for 
11 percent of these deaths. Just last year in my State of Wisconsin, 
there were more than 950 school buses involved in crashes and over 450 
occupant injuries.
  Every year, approximately 394,000 public schoolbuses travel about 4.3 
billion miles to transport 23.5 million children to and from school-
related activities. These numbers argue for the highest level of safety 
we can provide. I believe my bill is a step in this direction.
  I urge my colleagues to also support this important legislation, 
which has been endorsed by the American Medical Association and the 
American College of Emergency Physicians. We must work together, at the 
local, State, and Federal level to prevent school bus injuries.

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