Shocking Accident Tape Leads Parents to Question Kids` Safety

The grainy surveillance tape tells a disturbing story as a school bus skids off the road and sends students tumbling. The accident may have happened in Ohio, but it isn`t calming parents` fears here in Arkansas. Now, parents are asking safety-related questions. One of the most common: why don`t buses have seatbelts? The Little Rock School District`s Director of Transportation, Michael Martello, says there`s a good reason. "Putting seatbelts on large school buses would have little or no effect," he says, citing several studies from the National Highway Transportation Safety Adminstration. He says seats are cushioned, buses are well-built and drivers are well-trained. Still, of course, accidents do happen. Pulaski County reported more than 80 accidents during the last school year and 12 so far this year. The district stands by its safety record and transportation officials say they`re doing everything they can to bring those numbers down. They say that does not include installing seatbelts into their buses.