To the Editor:

I believe that all of us can agree that school-bus safety is very important. I also believe that where we can improve on our children’s safety is by making a change in school-bus design.

The design change is just changing the seating around so all the seats face toward the back of the bus.

With this change, the momentum for most accidents will push the child back toward the back of the seat. The distance of impact will be reduced from 36 inches or so to about 3 or 4 inches.

Now, when an accident occurs, the bus driver slams on the brakes and then the forward force causes each child to be thrown up against the seat ahead or into the open aisle where their bodies come to a stop, who knows how far forward.

Even the recommended installation of child car seats have been changed from forward-facing to rear-facing seats.

I'm no engineer but I'm a farm boy and a student of common sense.

If we can reduce the distance of impact, we will also reduce bus-related injuries.

New buses can be ordered with this rear-facing seating arrangement. The seats on old buses may be reinstalled also.

I think this idea has merit and should be investigated and reviewed in greater detail.

Rod Mattison

Berne