Apparently, many of the passengers in the bus that recently crashed on I-95 were hurled to the front of the bus by the sudden impact. This would not have happened had they been wearing seat belts.
There should be a federal law requiring seat belts on interstate/long-distance buses and also requiring passengers to wear them. This is the law in the United Kingdom. While this particular bus had seat belts, passengers should have been required to wear them. To those who argue that bus safety makes seat belt requirements unnecessary, ponder the tragic loss of life resulting from this bus accident.
A law requiring seat belts in interstate buses was proposed in Congress, but never came to a vote. Apparently, the expense to bus companies — to be passed on to passengers — in installing seat belts was deemed more important than the lives and safety of bus passengers. A request was made to U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) to push for a law requiring seat belts in interstate/long-distance buses, but apparently such a request has fallen upon deaf ears.
Maybe this most recent bus accident, resulting in multiple lives lost, will be the clarion call needed for Congress to exercise common sense and require seat belts and their usage in interstate buses.
Joseph A. Suraci
Middle Village
