to think buses should have 'child priority' seats....

[ThatBloodyWoman]

fitted with seatbelts?

I find it extraordinary that there are such tight controls when it comes to children travelling in cars,yet a parent is expected to get on a bus,and grapple with sometimes more than one small child,sometimes a baby.....

Interesting. Can't really argue safety wise.

Is it because buses don't often crash?

I'm not sure on the crash statistics -but with all the hard hand rails etc I imagine a crash would cause a lot of casualties.
I often even think of the sudden jerky movements on buses -with the handrails on the backs of seats at many children face heights,theremust be injuries caused by children flying forward and hitting their faces/teeth.

Why just children? Shouldn't every bus have seat belts then? I know the buses round here do but I've never saw them in use.

I think child priority seats would be a nightmare. Particularly during busy periods. How would it work? If a disabled person got on and the only seat available is a child priority seat, could they not sit on it? Could a parent come along with a kid and turf them out? Buses can be a nightmare at the best of times with prams taking all the wheelchair space, I dread to think the headache it would cause to have child seats!! Yabu

I think it's a good idea too. DD2 can he a pain. yet somehow is ok with seat belts so life would he much easier if I could strap her in in a bus

It's more dangerous for a small child to wear a seatbelt than not wear one.

Obviously if it was 5 point safety harnesses and seats that raised the child to the appropriate height for the belt then I would agree with you.

There are plenty of accidents with kids on buses.

'Why just children? Shouldn't every bus have seat belts then?'

Indeed

It'd be great for all seats to have them if budget would allow,of course.
But if there had to be priority I would equip the already prioritised seats,and then childrens priority seating.

Bubbles in that case 5 point safety harnesses and booster seats available seems sensible.

Part of my job is to attend road traffic accidents that result in injury, including people falling over on buses, and in six years in central London I haven't come across one child being injured falling over on a bus. Lots of elderly people but no children.

It would be practically impossible I think as you would have to bring your own child seat dependant on your child's height.

I'm surprised at that Snoopy !
It was more by luck than judgement a couple of times,when I had a baby in the removable buggy car seat,and a toddler,that I stopped both/all of us going flying at abrupt halts!

I just don't think there is time tbh, if you look at how quickly people are hopping on and off buses, it would massively slow a route down for parents to be strapping kids in suitable seats on buses.

I also imagine buses might be safer than cars for the passengers due to people sitting far higher than in cars, less risk taking by driver I hope ESP as can easily be reported and lose job, and drivers receive regular training?

It takes hardly any time.
I think most are tolerant of people getting on who are less steady,and realise the bus won't/shouldn't move until they're sat,so I don't see the difference really.

"Why just children? Shouldn't every bus have seat belts then? "

Exactly. Also if an elderly person is sitting in a child priority seat, would they have to stand up when a child got on?

Yes but as a regular inner london bus user - averaging at least 4 buses daily. I may encounter perhaps 2-3 wheelchair users or those less steady on their feet. I encounter far far more kids.

Plus there's enough buggy wars as it is on buses, there would be a lot of war over seats for kids, which aren't really possible anyhow because weight and height are different in each child

Maybe because children are expected to sit on a parent's lap if small and the bus is crowded or stand up for an old person if they are older.

I regularly get on a bus with seat belts-no one uses them.

YABU

Children should give up seats for elderly, disabled, pg women, etc.
Who would want to manage all this potential fallout.

Anyway, it will just give the more entitled precious parents something else to get entitled and precious about.
When I read some stories of the way certain parents behave over P&C spaces I am

By 'child priority' I mean child priority.
ie children would take priority over other users.
I know we could envisage an argument where there are 5 elderly people,3 wheelchair users,and a pregnant woman get onto a full bus with 4 children occupying child priority seats.
I would say that the onus would be on the able bodied people occupying seats to offer their seats to passengers with greater need.

And bear in mind that not all buses are over crowded.

Nope - don't agree

Anyway, it will just give the more entitled precious parents something else to get entitled and precious about

Unbearable I would say!

no please no

Personally i just want all seats to have lap belts so i can strap my six year old in the bus driver told him off the other day he just wont sit still i dont care where he is on the bus if he is strapped in he sits still!

No. Children should not have priority to the seats on buses. Can you imagine having to stand up for some snotty little school uniformed brat because he's got "priority"??