school bus flips over on north road up the hill this morning

Tragic either way. St Croix I presume? Hopefully all rumors and speculations will hold on for actual facts this time.

It was in Estate Morning Star. I heard that there were no students on the bus. I hope the driver is OK.

It didnt appear that any children were on the bus at the time. When I passed by, it was difficult to understand how the bus could have ended up on its side unless it was travelling too fast around the corner, spun and tipped over. It was raining at the time and the raods were wet.

It really wasn't a major clamity but more of a traffic nightmare as motorists took alternate routes to avoid the area.

The accident itself was a single vehicle...being the bus only.

Glad no kids were hurt. From time immemorial the bus drivers have ALWAYS driven too fast - I remember either clinging to the windows when they went around curves or sliding off the benches on curves. As a kid I never understood why the busses didn't have seat belts.

Glad no kids were hurt. From time immemorial the bus drivers have ALWAYS driven too fast - I remember either clinging to the windows when they went around curves or sliding off the benches on curves. As a kid I never understood why the busses didn't have seat belts.

Were your childhood bus experiences here in the USVI? Just curious. I've never found the school bus drivers on STT to be anything but very cautious and don't recall any instance of any local school bus ride either being "hairy" or resulting in schoolchildren being even remotely subjected to possible endangerment. Time immemorial? Please cite. Thanks.

I used to ride the bus home (or rather, someplace closer to home) from Sts. Peter and Paul School when I was in grade school.
We had comfortable seats and I don't really recall our drivers speeding, careening around corners and hanging on for dear life.
One thing we did not have was seat belts and, quite frankly, I am surprised that parents allow their children to be on school buses
without them. Then again, total strangers drive your children back and forth from school whom the majority of parents have never
had even a word with or any interaction at all but it is astounding that all school buses are not equipped with seat belts.
We have been very lucky that this accident is a rare one and no-one was hurt.

Given the numerous accidents with the Safari/Taxi Vans, I wonder why they do not have a law requiring all to have or install seat belts.
Never mind, just remembered who calls the shots at the Legislature.

The school busses on STJ probably go the fastest of any vehicle I pass on the road and I have almost been run off the road more than once but to be fair I have no idea if they have children on board or if they have been dropped off. There is a new bus driver (I think he/she is new) that blows the horn - I can hear the bus coming about 1 minute before I see it - and looking out my window to confirm it is the bus it appear to be saying "I'm coming - not going to slow down so I'm honking my horn to give you time to move over" I would much prefer no horn and a slow careful driver than a speeding horn blowing monster - thank goodness I don't have kids.

Pia

The joke in Italy is that honking the horn makes the vehicle smaller. Two vehicles come to a tight spot or a turn, both honk, and both continue to barrel right on through. Too bad the VI hasn't figured out how to make vehicles smaller when they honk. 🙂

Were your childhood bus experiences here in the USVI? Just curious. I've never found the school bus drivers on STT to be anything but very cautious and don't recall any instance of any local school bus ride either being "hairy" or resulting in schoolchildren being even remotely subjected to possible endangerment. Time immemorial? Please cite. Thanks.

Since the late 70s early 80s. All my bus experiences were on STX. Also remember being squashed 4 to a seat at times.

Seat belts on School buses have been argued for some time. Officials say it is safer without them. I don't buy that myself.

astounding that all school buses are not equipped with seat belts.
Given the numerous accidents with the Safari/Taxi Vans, I wonder why they do not have a law requiring all to have or install seat belts.

I KNOW!! CRAZY! Seat belts are the difference between life and death. KIds under 60lbs and 6 years of age are supposed to be in a DOT approved car seat! But once they step up on the bus, the rules change. And don't get me started on safaris...
Remember the college student who "fell" out of the Safari and died on STJ last year?

There are no seat belts on school buses because children were hitting each other with them. They tried it in the states for a year and had so many injuries that they removed them.

What little darlings!
Never would have crossed my mind that would be the (one of) the reasons they do not have seat belts on school buses!

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Seat+Belts/Seat+Belts+on+School+Buses+--+May+2006

Not sure if I agree, I still think it is about money and supervision...but

There are no seat belts on school buses because children were hitting each other with them. They tried it in the states for a year and had so many injuries that they removed them.

Amongst many articles on seat belts in school buses I found this one in particular very comprehensive:

http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/lawmaking/school-bus-seat-belt-debate.html

but couldn't find anything about any state which stopped using them because students were hitting each other with them!

OT, It was Virginia.

I can't find anything either but I was here and my kids were on those buses. Kids were swinging those seatbelts and bashing other kids in the face. Didn't take long for them to remove the seat belts.