Capacity Not the Problem, Paying May Be

AUBURN, Ala. (June 10, 2008) — Results from a seat belt study may be two years away, but Alabama State Director Joe Lightsey already thinks cost and safety, not capacity, will be the biggest issues in determining the future of lap-shoulder belts.

Following the 66th Annual Alabama School Transportation Association Conference last week, Lightsey said four of the buses in the University of Alabama pilot study have SafeGuard Flex Seats while the rest have 3-2 seating arrangements. These new seating technologies would make capacity concerns raised in the past a moot point, Lightsey said.

The study, which followed a 2006 school bus crash in Huntsville that killed four students, will begin looking at seat belt usage rates, effectiveness of onboard monitors and the impact of high seat backs on discipline this fall. But the study will not yield the kind of data on lap-shoulder belt safety the Governor’s Seat Belt Study Group had sought from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Lightsey said.

Currently, Alabama requires lap-shoulder belts on only small school buses. While specifications do not require restraints on large buses, a 2009 specification requires restraints be lap-shoulder belts if they are to be installed.

Like many states across the country, Alabama faces considerable cuts to transportation funding. According to Lightsey, the state's $340 million budget for FY09 is down at least $35 million from last year. To help with fuel costs, the state has allocated an additional guaranteed $5 million and another $8 million, provided there is sufficient tax revenue.

In the meantime, conference attendees looked at potential fuel saving measures. A $50,000 state-wide grant for fuel tank cleaning might help some districts switch to potentially less-expensive biodiesel. Districts may also be able to save by reducing spare buses and improving route efficiency.