Should school buses have seatbelts? Rollover crash in Ontario prompts new questions

The Ontario government is facing calls to take a closer look at seatbelts and road safety for students after a school bus rolled over in Woodstock, Ont., on Tuesday morning.

The rollover happened with 40 students on the school bus and led to one being pinned underneath the vehicle, according to police. Five students were injured in the crash, although all their injuries were minor.

The bus driver, a 34-year-old from Oxford County, was charged on Tuesday with careless driving causing bodily harm, Ontario Provincial Police said. The accused is set to appear in court in April.

The dramatic collision sparked concern from across both sides of the aisle at the Ontario legislature in Toronto.

“This is the worst nightmare for any family. We’re very much thinking about the community that is impacted,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Tuesday.

His opposition counterpart, Ontario NDP education critic Chandra Pasma, echoed the sentiment.

“The crash this morning is horrific, that’s one of the worst phone calls I can imagine getting as a parent,” she said. “I really hope the children who were injured recover swiftly.”

The crash also led to renewed calls to study safety on school buses, with potential measures including the introduction of seatbelts.

Transport Canada does not require seatbelts to be installed on school buses, leaving it up to provinces and bus companies to decide if they’re necessary.

Some experts say the way school buses are designed means they don’t need the added protection of belts, which could do even more harm in a crash.

The Canada Safety Council, for example, argues school buses have an “enviable safety record” without belts and says they are 16 times safer than travelling in a family vehicle.

The safety-focused