The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services reiterated its support of the use of lap/shoulder seatbelts for the safety of student passengers by calling for the occupant restraints in all new school buses.
NASDPTS, the first industry association to openly support the use of the safety restraints on school buses, evolved its stance from first recommending the equipment in 2008 to requiring enforceable use in 2014.
In May 2020, NASDPTS consolidated that record into policy. It supported requiring the installation and use of lap/shoulder belts in all new school buses, accompanied by student training, evacuation drills that include unbuckling, trip safety briefings and enforcement. The paper emphasized that lap/shoulder belts supplement compartmentalization, which National Transportation Safety Board investigations have concluded provides limited protection in rollovers, side impacts and secondary collisions. It also cited NHTSA’s estimate that universal installation and proper use on large buses could prevent 1,898 injuries and 2.13 fatalities annually. At the time, NASDPTS considered retrofitting seatbelts on legacy school buses to be a local decision dependent upon technical, legal and compatibility reviews.
The update announced Monday states that “lap/shoulder belts provide the safest form of occupant protection inside a school bus.” NASDPTS recommends installing and using the belts in all new school buses. Additionally, states and local jurisdictions are encouraged to establish enforcement policies and procedures, NASDPTS adds, noting that all students must use the belts and must be trained on how to use them properly.
Training, NASDPTS noted, must include proper use and adjustment of passengers. All students transported via a school bus must participate in regular evacuation drills, including unbuckling exercisers.
“Prior to every field or activity trip, the school bus driver or other designated personnel must provide a safety briefing to all students and adult passengers that includes the required use of the belts, the location and use of the exists and the location of the emergency equipment,” NASDPTS states. “Jurisdictions must adopt and implement related policies, notices, training and appropriate enforcement.”
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NASDPTS adds that retrofitting existing school buses with lap/shoulder seatbelts should only be considered after consultation with the original equipment manufacturer for that specific school bus. The state director’s association adds that retrofits could be considered unsafe, “as not all buses are built to specifications needed to support seatbelts. In addition, any change to a school bus could be in violation of the manufacturer warranty.”
“NASDPTS fully supports required installation and use of lap/shoulder belts in new school buses,” the paper concluded. “When school buses are equipped with lap/shoulder belts, a mandatory usage policy must also be in place, along with necessary training of employees and students on the importance of wearing and using the belts properly. Training and procedures must include effective evacuation training and drills.”
The association added that state directors and industry leaders should work together to ensure that legislators and other state policy makers “are educated on the existing safety record of school buses. Their discussions should emphasize the added safety benefits provided by lap/shoulder belts and the need to ensure that funding levels and service requirements support the availability of school buses to serve parents’ and students’ needs.”
