A bus accident Monday in Huntsville that killed four Lee High School students has local education officials examining safety issues. But they say they’re doing everything possible to keep Athens and Limestone children safe.

“In my position, I want parents to be assured that their children are traveling on safe, solid transportation,” said Limestone County Schools Director of Transportation Darryl Adams. “It’s just not feasible to make a bus like a tank.”

In Monday’s wreck, the bus plunged from an interstate overpass, injuring about two dozen students and resulting in the deaths of four teen-age girls. Witnesses say the bus had been struck moments before being hit by a passing car that may have suffered a blown tire.

State school officials identified the Lee High School students who died at the scene as Christine Collier, 16, a sophomore, and Nicole Ford, 19, a senior. A third, Tanesha Hill, 17, a senior, died Monday at the hospital from her injuries. Crystal McCrary, 17, died Tuesday morning at Huntsville Hospital main.

Hospital officials said more than a dozen remained hospitalized Tuesday and five people, including the bus driver, had undergone surgery.

The school bus was not equipped with seat belts. The National Transportation Safety Board has said that school buses are designed to protect occupants without the use of seat belts. A new design uses strong, well-padded, high-backed seats, closely spaced together, the NTSB has said.

“We have no more precious cargo than our children—it’s an awesome responsibility,” said Adams. “I don’t think that people realize the number of miles we travel a day.”

Adams said that Limestone County’s 100 buses travel a combined total of 6,500 miles per day in 112 routes with an average of 54 passengers per route.

“You have to consider how few bus accidents there are and how few with loss of life,” said Adams. “It really is an outstanding record.”

According to the state Department of Education, Alabama had 621 bus collisions in 2004-05 with 125 student and 17 bus-driver injuries and no fatalities. In 2005-06, there were 607 bus accidents, injuring 92 students and seven bus drivers with two fatalities.

A motorist, who witnesses say might have suffered a heart attack before the wreck, pulled out in front of a Limestone County school bus last month and was struck broadside. Sixty-two-year-old Jerry Camp, driver of a drug store delivery van, was killed in the collision, but the bus driver and one student suffered minor injuries.

Adams said that the reason buses fair well in collisions with automobiles is that they absorb the crash energy better because they are higher than the point of impact. “But if they collide with a tractor-trailer, that is the exception.”

Adams said he has studied the research on seat belts on school buses. He said the new compartment design cited by the NTSB does indeed make buses safer, but it doesn’t protect riders in all accidents.

“In a frontal or rear collision they do great, but in a rollover, not as good, and that is the weakness,” said Adams.

Athens City Schools Superintendent Orman Bridges said he will continue to study research and test data on bus seat belts before that system orders 19 buses to start regular routes at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year next fall.

“Monday’s incident touched the hearts of everyone out there,” said Bridges. “We will have to look at the research and decide. Do seat belts impede safety or cause injuries? How much to they really help? I’m not an expert, so I can’t really say, but we will certainly study it.”

Currently, city schools operate five buses to transport students from school-to-school, but do not pick up or deliver home. Bridges said the only buses equipped with seat belts are those for transporting handicapped students.

Adams said, by far, the greatest risk to students is drivers who don’t stop for a bus.

“There is a statewide survey on how often drivers don’t stop for a school bus,” said Adams. “We conducted our survey on Nov. 15. We had seven reported illegal passes on that one day. The red lights can be flashing, the sign can be out, the bus can be completely stopped, and they will still pass. Obviously, loading and unloading presents the greatest danger.”

Adams said that while law does not require motorists to stop when the amber lights are flashing, they should be making preparation to stop.

“It doesn’t mean you speed up to try to get by before the red lights flash,” said Adams. “If everyone would consider the consequences, they would drive much more safely.”