Lack of seatbelt use blamed as a factor in coroner's report in death of two 18 year old University students

A coroner's report released yesterday says two 18 year old University of Victoria students on a first-year field trip to Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in the fall of 2019 died of blunt force head trauma, caused in part by a lack of seatbelt use, when the bus they were on crashed.

The bus was carrying 45 students and two teaching assistants to Bamfield, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, on a class trip on September 13th, 2019, when it crashed after steering to avoid an approaching vehicle.

The report says the chartered coach bus had been fitted with seatbelts, but their use by students was not enforced by the driver or school staff.

The mother of one of the victim says the coroner's report is upsetting in that it suggests lack of seatbelt use as the most important factor.

She added that she believes driver error is to blame.