NHTSA Child Passenger Safety School Bus Training to Undergo Latest Revision

March 15, 2019

NHTSA-certified child passenger safety technicians try their hand at a new foldable integrated harness from HSM Transportation Solutions during the TSD Trade Show in Frisco, Texas on March 12, 2018.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Safety Council are seeking feedback on a planned update to the eight-hour Child Passenger Safety Restraint Systems on School Buses curriculum.

Taught Friday at the TSD Conference in Frisco, Texas and planned for both the STN EXPO Indianapolis in June and the STN EXPO Reno in July, the training provides classroom, as well as hands-on instruction, on how to install rear- and forward-facing car seats and other child safety restraint systems (CSRS) on school buses for preschool students or those with special needs. Participants who complete the seminar may receive 5.5 continuing education units from Safe Kids Worldwide.

The school bus-specific seminar is a supplement to the 32-hour NHTSA training to become a certified passenger safety technician for CSRS in private vehicles.

The last school bus revision occurred five years ago. Since then, NSC said course instructors and participants have noted content that needs to be changed and enhanced, “to enable this curriculum to be a resource to an even wider audience.”

Charlie Vits, the at-large representative on the NCS National Child Passenger Safety Board and the market development manager for IMMI’s SafeGuard brand, said school bus professionals who would like to share ideas on improving the training or who are qualified to participate in the revision process, can contact him by April 30.

He told School Transportation News that no timeline has been set for completing the revision process. Vits added that once meetings begin, it will take at least one year to reach a consensus on setting goals and creating an action plan.

“This will be a comprehensive revision, because we are looking at meeting the needs of different audiences and different requirements,” he explained. “There may be several revisions created for different needs, but all will be consistent in the message.”