Rocky Hill _ Gov. M. Jodi Rell today celebrated legislation that establishes a state-run incentive a program to help school districts pay for equipping school buses with three-point, lap-and-shoulder seat belts.
The new law comes six months after Vikas Parikh, 16, a Rocky Hill High School student died when the bus in which he was a passenger plunged down an embankment after a highway collision. The bus was not equipped with seatbelts.
Under the program, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles will begin offering a program in July 2011 to offset a portion of the sales tax bus companies pay for school buses equipped with three-point seatbelts. The program will be funded through a $50 increase in the fees paid for restoring suspended or revoked driver’s licenses, commercial driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations. The program will run through at least 2018.
As a Paramedic I see tragedy too often..everyday! If devastation can be avoided with something so simple as a seat belt..my only question is..why has it taken so many years to be recognized that we need to keep our children safe with no exceptions!! its time to buckle up all the time and stop sending mixed messages to our children too! like: “always wear your seat belt EXCEPT when your on a school bus”! its like saying ..”never talk to strangers EXCEPT when”…time for change!
Comment by Kari Ricciardi — July 20th, 2010 @ 11:26 pm