How Much for a Life?

NHTSA recently concluded that equipping large school buses (those weighing more than 10,000 lbs) with seat belts is unnecessary. NHTSA claims large busses are among the safest modes of transit and that when children are killed, seat belts would not prevent the fatality. NHTSA estimates that equipping a bus with belts costs about $6,500 and “the benefits would be achieved at a cost of between $23 million and $35 million per equivalent life saved.” Hmmm!