Reactions out of Sussex County based on the possibility of seat belts on school buses

It's a debate that's been going on for years and it's something that concerns our children: seat belts on buses. 

But before we make our way to that story, we need to give you some background on how the buses work in the state of Delaware. Most buses are actually owned by bus contractors, not by the actual school district. 

Now there's a plethora of contractors throughout the state. Some with just one bus, some with over 80. These companies are sub-contracted through Delaware. But when it comes to the bus routes, that's where the schools play a role since they control the routes. 

With a recent bus accident in New Jersey leaving two dead, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending to states that all new large busses be equipped with seat belts. 

In Washington, the National Transportation Safety Board has already approved the lap-shoulder seatbelt recommendation.

The board has also recommended New Jersey, Florida, Louisiana, and New York upgrade their requirements from lap belts to lap-shoulder belts.

If this were to happen in Delaware, the state would need to fund contractors even more to keep up with the requirements.

47 ABC spoke to Gerald Dutton, the President of Dutton Busing, who's been in the business for decades. He says, "Everybody believes that seat belts save lives and they do, but they aren't proven on school buses that it would."

After driving kids around for some time, he knows first hand how this might not play out so well. 

"Kids could hit each other with a seat belt. Just as easy as they can buckle it, they can unbuckle it. The driver has responsibility to keep an eye on that along with keeping an eye on the road."

Dutton tells 47 ABC that a bus driver would also be responsible for the kids stuck if a bus tips over, "You get cutting away and the kid falls eight feet because with the bus is eight feet long or eight feet wide, so if they're on the high side, they are going to fall eight feet high on the seats or window. That's the part I can see a little hectic."

Since the seat belt debate has been at a standstill, the buses have been updated to continue protecting children in the meantime. For example, the National Transportation Safety Board raised the seats, so if you get into an accident, the student would actually hit the cushion rather than hitting their chin. They also made windows shatter resistant. 

47 ABC also spoke to some residents in Sussex County. Some were for and against seat belts. But no matter what side your on, one thing clicks for everyone: the safety of the students.