ALTHOUGH SEATBELTS have been mandatory in BC for a very long time, I do recall resisting their use. The third time I had to pay a huge fine for NOT wearing a seatbelt finally convinced me to get with the program. Nowadays most people wouldn’t dream of not strapping themselves in, convinced by fines and effective public service announcements. I imagine people who are in the habit of talking on their cell phones while driving are now going through the same process. I often see people trying to negotiate a turn while a phone is firmly pressed to their ears, despite cell phone use in cars finally being banned in BC in 2010. The need to concentrate and for protective measures in vehicles cannot be overstated. We are vulnerable in our cars and also in our buses. Although cell phone chats seem fine for passengers on buses, it would be prudent if school buses in particular were equipped with seatbelts. However, the same arguments (neck injuries, etc.) once used against seatbelts in cars are used against installing seatbelts in school buses. When tragedy strikes the question comes up but it has yet to gain momentum. The wheels roll slowly when it comes to locking in changes, even though we would all agree safety should never take a backseat. In the back of most minds we suspect that installing seatbelts on school buses is a good idea while chatting on cell phones when driving is definitely not.Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms