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Committee of MPs decides against calling for school-bus seatbelts

Committee of MPs decides against calling for school-bus seatbelts
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Committee of MPs decides against calling for school-bus seatbelts

OTTAWA — A committee of MPs who probed bus-passenger safety in Canada has decided not to call for seatbelts to be installed in Canadian school buses, urging further study instead.

The House of Commons transportation committee launched an investigation into bus safety, including on school buses, following the deadly Humboldt Broncos crash in Saskatchewan last year that killed 16 people and injured 13.

The committee’s final report includes a number of recommendations to beef up safety requirements for passenger buses, including long-distance coaches and municipal transit buses.

But the committee says conflicting evidence from experts about seatbelts on school buses points to the need for further study.

“Throughout this study, the committee heard from witnesses about the complexity of evaluating potential improvements to bus passenger safety,” the report says.

“It was made clear to members that there is no ‘silver bullet’ that will definitively increase safety in all situations. Although seatbelts would undoubtedly prevent some serious injuries or fatalities, they are not the only solution to ensuring the safety of bus passengers in Canada.”

The issue of installing seatbelts on school buses has indeed proved to be polarizing.