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# Will Tennessee School Buses Become Safer in 2019?
- URL: https://www.legalexaminer.com/lestaffer/legal/will-tennessee-school-buses-become-safer-in-2019/
- Published: 2019-01-31T20:29:12.000Z
- Updated: 2019-01-31T20:29:12.000Z
- Description: On Jan. 23, a Tennessee crash injured one student and a bus driver after a school bus collided with an SUV at an intersection. While there were no fatalities, this is not always the case, with one example being the heartbreaking November 2016 school bus…
- Author: Legal Examiner Staffer
- Tags: Legal

On Jan. 23, a Tennessee [crash injured one student and a bus driver after a school bus collided with an SUV at an intersection](https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Police-Tennessee-school-bus-crash-injures-driver-student-504742851.html?ref=legalexaminer.com). While there were no fatalities, this is not always the case, with one example being the heartbreaking November 2016 school bus crash that killed six children between the ages of 6 and 10 years old.

Last May, the National Transportation Safety Board approved a [safety recommendation that new large school buses be equipped with three-point shoulder and lap seat belts](https://clarksvillenow.com/local/poll-would-you-be-willing-to-pay-higher-taxes-to-add-seat-belts-to-school-buses/?ref=legalexaminer.com). Despite the obvious safety benefits that seat belts would provide, a Tennessee bill legally requiring them to be installed has failed twice. This can be attributed in part to the high price tag – each new bus with seat belts will cost an extra $10,000 each.

The financial barrier was addressed in August, when [$3 million in non-recurring grant funding became available for Tennessee school districts to cover the extra cost of buses with seat belts](https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/news/730867/tennessee-launches-seat-belt-funding-program?ref=legalexaminer.com). For the first round of grants, about $1.3 million was given to school systems in Cannon, Dickson, Humphreys, Overton, Robertson, Stewart, and Williamson counties. As of now, only Robertson and Cannon counties have buses with three-point safety belts on the road.

Another potential method to increase school bus safety lies in a proposed Tennessee law that would increase the penalty for drivers who do not stop for school buses. Today, a failure to fully comply with bus safety rules in Tennessee is a Class A misdemeanor that can result in a $250 to $1,000 fine. The proposed law, which will take effect on July 1 if approved, would [upgrade non-compliance to a Class E felony](https://local12.com/news/nation-world/tennessee-bill-would-make-failure-to-stop-for-school-bus-a-felony-increase-fine?ref=legalexaminer.com) and raise the fine to $500 to $3,000.

Through the combination of accident prevention initiatives, such as increasing driver penalties, and enhanced safety features, such as the installation of three-point seat belts, 2019 has the potential to make significant strides in school bus safety. It is time for Tennessee to make the safety of its children a top priority.