School Bus Seat Belts: The Hard Truth After A Fatal Tennessee Crash

Two students die in a Tennessee school bus crash, and the question everyone asks comes roaring back: why don’t school buses have seat belts? We sit with the discomfort and talk it through like working drivers, not headline pundits. We break down what we know from the reporting, what bus design is meant to do, and why “just add seat belts” can collide with another terrifying reality: fire, smoke, and the seconds you have to get kids out. 

From there, we dig into the real safety tradeoffs and the prevention tools that might stop disasters before they happen, including lane keeping assist and other driver-support tech. We also get honest about how fast tragedy turns into legislation, and how money, fleet upgrades, training, and enforcement always shape what districts can actually do. If you’ve ever wondered how school bus safety decisions get made, this conversation lays out the messy middle. 

Then we shift gears to the labor side of pupil transportation with the First Student contract situation and the possibility of a strike affecting thousands of school bus workers. We debate what fair pay and benefits look like during a driver shortage, and where striking fits when families depend on the yellow bus to get kids to school. Finally, we tackle a shocking professionalism story from Massachusetts that turns into a candid talk about boundaries, bathroom realities on route, and planning hydration like your job depends on it. 

Subscribe for more School Bus Banter News Edition, share this with a driver or parent, and leave a review if these conversations help you see the job more clearly. What’s your take on seat belts for school buses?

“These are our stories from the driver’s seat—our opinions only, not our  employer’s or school district’s. Student safety and privacy always come first, so no names, faces, routes, or ‘you know that kid’ details ever make it on the podcast.

Email us at schoolbusbanter@gmail.com

Call or text us at 757-529-1574

Join our Facebook Group with bus drivers around the world!

Transcript

SPEAKER_08 0:06

Hi, welcome back. Thanks for listening. This is School Bus Banter News Edition, episode 14. I'm Joe. Hi, Jerry.

SPEAKER_04 0:15

I'm Jerry. Yep, you already said that. I'm well. Um, I'm excited to talk about this news today. Um, one thing that is

Welcome And How To Reach Us

SPEAKER_04 0:24

something that we talk about is seat belts. So, and that is always a big topic. But before we do that, if you could do me a favor and go to schoolbusbanter at gmail.com for uh everything if you want to get a hold of us. Uh, link in the description on Facebook if you're a Facebook person, and then you can text us at 757-529-1574. If you want to send me a picture or a question or whatever, you are welcome to do that. So, you know, we like to do these news things because it's it's good to talk about, but we have so much to talk about in our other episode. So we decided, you know, we're gonna do one a week. And uh so today we're gonna talk about seat belts. There has been a fatal school bus crash in Tennessee, and I've seen quite a bit on it because obviously the algorithm shows me, right? Because I'm a school bus driver and I look at that stuff, but unfortunately, two kids died in it. Um, so we're gonna play a video. Now the video

Tennessee Crash And Seat Belt Debate

SPEAKER_04 1:23

is long, it has audio, so you won't really need it, but um, so let's play this and then have our you know, big discussion that we always talk about and and why kids and parents say, why don't they have seat belts? Hopefully, this will kind of answer answer the question a little bit. So here we go.

SPEAKER_08 1:41

Roll it.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

We begin tonight with breaking news as we now have the name of the school bus driver connected to Friday's deadly bus crash over in Carroll County in West Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Safety says that Sabrina Duxworth was behind the wheel. 17 uh Fox 17 News, I should say, also has dash cam video showing the crash involving a bus carrying students from Kenwood Middle School in Clarksville. However, we are not showing the entire video out of respect for those children. This is the video. You can see the bus crossing over the center line there before hitting a T dot dump truck sending that bus off the road. Zoe Davis and Ariana Peterson were the two students who were killed in the crash. The girls were on a field trip to Jackson when the bus was involved in the crash near Huntington on Friday afternoon. Now, tonight, as the community continues to mourn, state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing for school bus safety improvements. Fox 17 News Karen Aguilar shows us what they want to see.

SPEAKER_06 3:08

It's been three days since the Kenwood Middle School bus crash in Carroll County injured several and took the lives of two children. It is very heartbreaking. She's advocating for better school bus safety like seatbelts. After Friday's deadly crash, State GOP Senator Mark Pody is working on legislation which would include seat belts for buses.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Yes. We'll just have to find a way to make sure we afford it.

SPEAKER_06 4:24

Another part of Podi's bill would be the lane keeping assist system. It uses cameras to detect lane markings and automatically steers a driver to prevent lane drifting.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

I do like that idea very much, and that may be our first option.

SPEAKER_06 4:36

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent me a statement which reads in part School buses are the safest way for children to travel to and from school. The NHDSA says children in large school buses are protected by energy absorbing seatbacks, while seat belts and small school buses they say are essential. Parents tell me they hope once Podi files his legislation, it can pass this time. Reporting in Clarksville, Karen Aguilar, Fox 17 News, your code red station.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

As we continue our coverage, Fox 17 News did some digging. Questions over safety as several school bus systems in Tennessee continue to deal with driver shortages pretty much every school year. State lawmakers even considered at one point recently dropping the age requirement for bus drivers from 25 down to 23 to help fill that gap. The current age limit was instituted after a deadly school bus crash in Chattanooga 10 years ago in 2016. Investigators found the 24-year-old driver in that case was on his phone and speeding.

SPEAKER_04 6:02

All right.

SPEAKER_08 6:08

Processing.

SPEAKER_04 6:09

You're processing. So uh I did do a little follow-up on that crash. It sounds like that driver had an emergency, uh, like some sort of medical emergency for those audio listeners. Basically, the driver kind of crossed the center line on a curve and hit a like big old dump truck and um kind of went in the ditch. So I know on the original video there's a lot of hate about the distracted driver, but I don't know that for a fact. I'd have I'd have to look again. But yeah, it's the age-old question. Are you know, is it seat belts? Should we do seat belts or should we not do seat belts? Probably gonna steal your thunder, Joe. But um seat belts would be crazy in an emergency with a fire. Um, it would be hard to get all those kids unbuckled and out. I mean, sometimes those buskes inflame within 90 seconds.

SPEAKER_08 6:57

45.

SPEAKER_04 6:59

Well, it it I mean it can it can be quick, you know, and and it would take you longer than three minutes to get all those kids unbuckled. Obviously, some can do it themselves, but what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_08 7:12

So seat belts on our like K through four run, you know. I think about it all the time and how I would love it sometimes because right, they're just sitting everywhere about how they should be. I do see, okay, so we have this accident where if they were in a seatbelt or those those two children that were killed, would they have survived? And B with that same accident, but with the bus being caught on fire, and now you have to get them out. And if seat belts would have killed them, you see what I'm saying? It depends on the accident. So you have an accident where the seat belts could have saved their lives. Do we have a one button up front where we hit it and all the seatbelts come undone?

SPEAKER_04 7:55

Like possibly.

SPEAKER_08 7:57

Is that something possible? I don't know. But you take that same accident but turn it into a fire, and now the kids can't be in a seatbelt and have to get out quicker, and maybe two would have died because of the seat belts. How do you balance that? Yeah, that's a good word. How do you balance that? And it all depends on the the accident. And that one guy said maybe we look at the buses beeping because it's crossing the center lane. A that would be a cheap way to maybe get stuff like that, you know, to have the cars do it, so you could put it on buses crossing center lanes or something like that. But it's um you can't make the one decision for all situations.

SPEAKER_04 8:45

Well, unfortunately, you said at the end of it, you know, they made uh it looks like Tennessee made that rule about um about age, you know, tragedy brings bills, right? They made a bill after that. Well, if you're under 25, you you can't be a school bus driver. And and you know, I don't I don't think you should jump to seat belts. I mean, I I guess if you really wanted to do it, you could like take the look at how many fires they've had and how many accidents they've had, and kind of like which is worse, you know what I mean? But you're right. If it everyone would have complained, why are there seatbelts on the bus if that if all those kids burned to death?

SPEAKER_08 9:23

The the tragedy, I guess when I read it, I didn't even I didn't hear about the I was I was reading more about the seatbelt part, so I didn't hear about the the two deaths, the two fatalities.

SPEAKER_04 9:34

But And I'm assuming they they hit their heads, they went flying because the bus got hit. You know, those buses are made to take a hit like that. If you when you see the the the the impact, the bus doesn't look that fucked up. You know what I mean? But those kids probably just look at the angle that was like Well, I mean they probably went flying in the air and their heads hit something and that that's what killed them. And but and that's a weird accident. I mean, you're more likely, I would guess, to get in a like somebody T-bones you or rear ends you or stuff like that. But I mean the buses are made to absorb all that stuff, they're so much safer than people don't people don't realize how safe and they're built for impact.

SPEAKER_08 10:14

Yeah, we're up higher than a lot of the cars, so a lot of the accidents are gonna help happen below us.

SPEAKER_03 10:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 10:20

The the seats are designed for that impact, and the the structure of the bus also. But with a fire, you know, like saw uh we were talking about that training that I saw years ago before you worked here. Um, how we we lit a bus on fire on purpose, and it was 40 you want those kids out in 45 seconds. That's what you aim for to do your emergency evacuations because that cab is filled with smoke, and that's why we we have multiple exits.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

And you imagine one more thing to fight with kids on is like, hey, do you got your seatbelt on? Like, fuck that.

SPEAKER_08 10:54

Like, yeah, and yeah, you had said previous too that they'd be weapons used as weapons on the bus. Yeah, like with you know, that middle part, but it's at times there are days where I'm like, oh my god, I wish you guys were seat belted in. And then I'm like, how would I get all you guys out if we had to? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:10

Yeah, I don't think there's a good answer. One thing that does bother me, they got a fucking boomer, like get these people out of freaking this is kind of a sidebar, like you know, they they need term limits on that shit. Because why is like an 85-year-old guy talking about kids and bus saving? I'm not saying he's out of pocket, I don't think he said anything out of pocket, but it just frustrates me that we got these old people that like you can't even fucking send an email trying to create bills for you know 2026. It just pisses me off. So, anyways, um yeah, you wanna uh save that one for another.

SPEAKER_08 11:47

No, I'm just kidding. Another show.

SPEAKER_04 11:49

We don't have a political show.

SPEAKER_08 11:50

Yeah, uh yeah. No, we don't want to lose we want subscribers, we don't want to lose any.

SPEAKER_04 11:56

Oh no, it's it. I mean, that's that's that's atypical. I mean, that's or no, that's not the right word. It's not political, it's both sides.

SPEAKER_08 12:03

It has nothing to

Politics, Costs, And Safety Frustrations

SPEAKER_08 12:04

do with the either side, so just and I think that's what bothers me is there's no answer, there's no set answer of this is what needs to happen, and it's not passing through, or it costs too money. You want to put a price tag on kids' lives, you know, there is no right answer. I don't know what it is, and that's what I think bothers me the most.

SPEAKER_04 12:22

I think the bottom line, you you brought up money, you're right. It all I mean, as much as they they say to everyone's face that it's about the kids' safety, it boils down to dollars and cents. Yeah. So yeah, yeah, it does. Um, the next one want to talk about real quick is just a strike. And I know through our district, we have a non-striking clause. Um, but this uh article or video is about um first student, which I think is the biggest busing company in the country. They have a lot of employees, so we'll watch this real quick

Evacuations, Fires, And Tradeoffs

SPEAKER_04 12:52

and uh then we'll kind of talk about it.

SPEAKER_07 12:54

The

First Student Contract And Strike Fears

SPEAKER_07 12:55

national contract for school bus workers expires on Tuesday, but there's no clear idea as to when a strike could possibly happen. A bus monitor I spoke with says the uncertainty is stressful and concerning. We're worried. We're really nervous. Cynthia Cercasta has been a school bus monitor with first student for twelve years. She says the uncertainty regarding the contract agreement is difficult for staff members to handle.

SPEAKER_05 13:17

It affects us whether or not we're gonna be here or not. We want to be here. Um we don't know what this future holds, and it's very scary.

SPEAKER_07 13:25

Brian Chong, the Teamsters local 671 communications organizer, says the union is fighting for all 22,000 Teamsters school bus workers guaranteed hours and better health care.

SPEAKER_03 13:36

They have no excuse to not settle a contract and pay these Teamsters what they deserve, give them the health insurance they deserve and the retirement security that they deserve.

SPEAKER_07 13:46

In response to the possible strike and ongoing negotiations, First Student says in part quote, First Student remains committed to preserving the local approach to bargaining, ensuring first student employees at each location continue to have a meaningful voice in the issues that matter most within the broad national standards. As negotiations continue, school bus workers in Bristol are also facing another challenge. On top of the possible strike, DATCO bus company recently won the Bristol Public Schools transportation contract and will be replacing first students starting this summer, which could possibly leave many Teamsters yard workers without a job if the company doesn't honor their contracts.

SPEAKER_05 14:23

Just knowing that I might not be back next year is scary.

SPEAKER_07 14:28

The drivers and monitors contracts with first student will continue through June 30th. Datco says they intend to consider any current employees who would like to work for the company as long as they reach the requirements for the job. In Bristol, Alicia Hercules, Fox 61.

SPEAKER_04 14:43

First of all, why do those ladies that they interviewed look like they're from the 80s? They have hair from like the 80s. Didn't they?

SPEAKER_08 14:51

Like they're this Yeah, but we're bus drivers. I mean, it really, you know, there are some days where it's just ponytail and here we go.

SPEAKER_04 15:01

No, I mean they didn't look bad. They just their styles were like, yeah, like, oh gosh, honey.

SPEAKER_08 15:08

So they do have a bargaining unit, but trying to pass, is that what's happening?

SPEAKER_04 15:13

Well, yeah, there's 22,000 employees. Um, so there's a little bit of double stories there. They're they're that first student is without a contract for everybody, I guess, but the the local that they were talking about is getting replaced by another company that isn't first student. So they were kind of talking about if they're gonna honor, you know, whatever that was. But I think in general, the entire because I think and maybe it's maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's not the entire, but I mean that guy, which I I like his passion that represented um first student drivers is said it was 22,000 drivers that were yeah are kind of dealing with contract stuff.

SPEAKER_08 15:53

So wow.

SPEAKER_04 15:55

I don't know how you uh that seems like a big hill to climb for like you know, like you we talk about our association, how small it is, and 22,000 people. Wow.

SPEAKER_08 16:08

And and what yeah, the the bargaining stuff I'm it's oh it's so over my head. Um I I believe in it, you know, I'm a part of our union and I I help, but the bigger picture, the contracts and and what goes into negotiations and stuff like that, it's how do you try and get 22,000 people on board with the same focus of going forward.

SPEAKER_04 16:34

Hopefully on a lot of online systems, but um what do you feel about driver striking? Do you like that we have a non-striking?

SPEAKER_08 16:42

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:42

Yeah, I like it because it kind of fucks the kids, right? Like you know, it's like okay, I I understand if we if we can't come up with a contract, right? Like, okay, you can pay me retro pay, like, but we're gonna keep working. We're not gonna leave the district out to dry.

SPEAKER_08 17:00

I firmly believe that, and it almost did happen with our last um negotiation, but that they would just pause our contract, and our contract is good, so I'd be happy with that for a while. Yeah. Pause our contract, give us what we're continuing getting. If we don't get any upgrades or whatever, that's fine. We're all in this for the reason of we're just gonna get a car kids to school. And then hopefully, yeah, it's made up to us later. But if they're saying, you know, we you can't drive bus at all, there's no absolutely no money, then I I don't know. Well, yeah, I mean you keep going, you keep going.

SPEAKER_04 17:33

I mean, no, I I'm not about I mean, you may you're you're nicer than I am. Um, I think right now is a very pivotal time in the world for transportation drivers, even truckers and and a lot of school bus drivers, because we're tired of not getting paid what we should be getting paid. And and there's a shortage, right? So guess what? Pay up because otherwise you're not gonna get people to drive. Um, so I I'm fine being aggressive with it right now. Um, but again, I would be fine working, and then once we settle the contract, then that's fine because I'm not gonna. I I it's important to me to get the kids to school because some of those kids don't have parents that can take them. And and I I don't think it's right to to um basically discipline, not discipline, but but the kids miss out. It's about the kids, right? I mean I want to get paid, but I also like I don't want those kids to not be able to get to school.

SPEAKER_08 18:29

Yeah, I'm I'm glad we have it in our contract. Yeah, me to answer your question that you asked five minutes ago.

SPEAKER_04 18:36

All right. This last one, uh, and I know we just briefly touch on these. If you want to um, you know, send us a comment on these, if you have an opinion on it. We actually we should probably post these in our Facebook group. Maybe that'll give a job for you. You can you can take care of the Facebook group, make keep that active for me. But um I don't even know what you're talking about already. Oh my Jesus. Um, so this Massachusetts school bus driver was fired after allegedly urinating inside a bus with students on board. So, what is happening? We're having sex in the buses, we're urinating. Officials say this 71-year-old driver was on his way to elementary school with 12 pre-K

Striking Versus Getting Kids To School

SPEAKER_04 19:14

to second grade students. He had said uh he said instructed the kids to move the back of the bus before allegedly relieving himself while seated behind the wheel. After the bus arrived at school, some students reported the behavior to the teachers prompting an investigation. Uh, no criminal charge have been filed, uh, but obviously he has been fired from his job.

SPEAKER_08 19:34

Um guess what today? You kids all get to sit in the back.

SPEAKER_04 19:42

The problem is sit wherever you want, Day. The problem is you probably explained too much what happened, like what he was gonna do if he told him to go back there, and he probably could have got away with it, other than there's you know, cameras on the buses. Cameras. Um, so here's the thing. I get it. Like I, for whatever reason, the way I eat my food during the day and what I drink, uh when I leave for my afternoon run, I I pee when I go leave from home. I pee when I get to the lounge, and by the time I get done with my upper kids, I'm running to the bathroom again. So it's like everything decides to empty in that two hours. Uh and I get it. I get it. I guess if I really had to go that bad, I would just piss my pants.

SPEAKER_08 20:28

I I I've been there. Like almost I've almost had to do that because when when times are desperate, you can't you can't go in the bus and you can't pull over. And I mean here's a question for you.

SPEAKER_04 20:42

Here's the scenario. You're driving down, you you pass a McDonald's, and you're like, I gotta go. Do you leave the kids on the bus? Like, that's a better option, right? Than than than peeing on the bus. No, no, no. You get two options. Don't shake your head yet. Listen to my scenario peeing on the bus with children, or getting off the bus and running in to go pee at McDonald's and getting back on and continuing. Which one's better?

SPEAKER_08 21:10

The better one is going to McDonald's, but you're both gonna lose a job.

SPEAKER_04 21:13

Think so?

SPEAKER_08 21:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 21:16

I think

Driver Fired For Urinating On Bus

SPEAKER_04 21:18

you wouldn't lose your job for the second one, but you would be disciplined. I mean because think about it. How many times at what point? No, this is in the wild, so I I get it, but at what point are you responsible to those kids the whole time? Meaning, like, so they let the kids out, there's no teachers out when we're going to load on the bus, right? What to say if the buses aren't there yet and the kids are running around the sidewalk? Like, that's okay, right? Because it's on school property, but you think that being off school property, then staying on the bus, shutting the door, taking the key. I mean, what do you got? I mean, I can be in and out of McDonald's in 30 seconds.

SPEAKER_08 21:56

You can't you can't leave, you can't leave. You can't leave your Seat.

SPEAKER_04 22:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 22:01

You cannot leave. Okay. No.

SPEAKER_04 22:03

All right. But you think you'd be fired for that?

SPEAKER_08 22:06

Pee in your pants. If you left the bus, yes. If you peed your pants, you would not be fired. No.

SPEAKER_04 22:11

No, well, I know you wouldn't for that. I don't think you would be fired if you left the bus. I think you'd be written up and you better not do it again. But here's one of the problems. The dude's 71. Okay.

SPEAKER_08 22:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:21

Like, no offense. Like, I I am glad you're there, but clearly you have some some some issues. And that is part of getting older, right? Like, if you it is. You do have to budget your if you gotta know you're gonna be on this bus with these kids for a certain amount of time. Like when I do my my extra run, like I make sure I go right before I leave because I know I have kids on that bus the entire time. And I can't I can't leave them. You can't. And so you just gotta be a parent.

SPEAKER_08 22:51

After after you drop all your kids off in the morning, and then you're getting ready to do your extra run at 8 30 there. Do you go into the high school at that point too?

SPEAKER_04 23:00

No, I go I go at my elementary. Right. Oh, yeah. Right when I drop the kids off, I go right in the the actually the door um doesn't even it just has like daycare in there, and no one's ever in there. Like I use the kids' bathroom because it's just yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 23:16

We do too.

SPEAKER_04 23:16

Yeah, but um, yeah, I mean I think at 71, if you can't control your how much you intake and and budget that and and or one cup of coffee, that's it. Yeah, you know, I have a work partner and you know him very well too. He told me he drinks 128 ounces of water a day, okay? And and and thirty 32 ounces of coffee.

SPEAKER_08 23:39

Oh. How is I drink 120 ounces of water a day?

SPEAKER_04 23:43

That's wild. If I drank that much water, I would be peeing every 35 seconds.

SPEAKER_08 23:48

Well, yep. Yeah, we do.

SPEAKER_04 23:50

Well, how do you drive for that long then?

SPEAKER_08 23:53

Because I know when I can do it and when I don't. So a lot of my water will come in the afternoon. Um, but then I stop, and then a lot of it comes in the afternoon, and I pee all night. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 24:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 24:05

Wake up and go to the bathroom probably three times. But I am addicted to the water and I fill my Stanley up four times, unless it's my 40 ouncer, then I fill it up three times.

SPEAKER_04 24:14

Damn, that's a lot. Um, yeah, I uh it is when you told me that I'll have to go now. Do you?

SPEAKER_08 24:21

Hey, have you ever seen Goonies? You're gonna make me wait. No.

SPEAKER_04 24:26

My work partner hasn't seen Goonies either. That is an 80s classic movie. You guys can fuck off.

SPEAKER_08 24:32

There are a lot of 80s classic movies I have not seen.

SPEAKER_04 24:36

He hasn't watched it either. And I'm like, Jesus Christ, there's a scene where there goes, Hey Mikey, gonna go to the bathroom. It's so good. It's so it's it's about kids, it's more of a boy movie because I it's like kids' angst that in your 80s where you're just like no TV, no internet, and you're out just like on adventures. It's so fucking good. Oh, I can't believe you haven't seen it.

Bathroom Ethics And Route Reality

SPEAKER_04 24:58

That's your that's your homework two weeks from now. You better watch the Goonies. It's amazing. All right, that's all I got. Don't pee on your bus with children on it. Um I they frown upon that. Um, and so yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 25:12

Plan your plan your liquid intake, definitely. Same with eating. I don't want to eat before either because my colon will dictate when I have to stop.

SPEAKER_04 25:22

Right, for sure. Um, and I I do not like any volume of pea in my bladder, like it bothers me so much. Like, I will I don't care where it is. If it's a toy, if we go out and there's a toilet available and I have any pressure, I'm going. Don't care where it is, I will go to the bathroom. So on that note.

SPEAKER_08 25:42

On that note, I have to go.

SPEAKER_04 25:43

Yeah, on that note.

SPEAKER_08 25:44

So all right, well good talk, partner.

SPEAKER_04 25:47

Good talk about peas. Uh anything else you want to tell the folks before we sign off?

SPEAKER_08 25:51

Text Jerry at all times.

SPEAKER_04 25:55

I have a do not disturb on, so it doesn't matter. You can text me at three in the morning. It's not gonna wake me up.

SPEAKER_08 26:00

Thanks for listening, everybody.

SPEAKER_04 26:02

Same boss, same kids, different stories. And remember, just say ten four.