In 2024, as part of a campaign to increase and improve overall safety, Blue Bird announced that lap-shoulder seat belts would be standard equipment for all new school buses starting in the Fall of 2024. During the 2024 National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) Annual Conference, Blue Bird, along with representatives from other school bus OEMs, presented the “Seat Belts & State Specifications” panel discussion. Nick Mitchell, specification coordinator at Blue Bird, shared the “why?” behind Blue Bird’s launch of the most comprehensive school bus safety upgrades in its history, including the industry-first standardization of seat belts, driver air bags and other safety features.
Industry Support. The decision was not a new idea. Industry leaders and safety advocates have been calling for seat belts on school buses for years:
“Seat belts save lives. That is true whether in a car or a big, yellow school bus. Our goal: A 3‐point seat belt for every child on every bus.”
– Chief Administrator for the NHTSA, Dr. Mark Rosekind, November 2015
“Provide your members with educational materials on lap and shoulder belts providing the highest level of protection for school bus passengers, and advise states or school districts to consider this added safety benefit when purchasing seat belt-equipped school buses.”
– NTSB, Safety Recommendations H–13-36
“NASDPTS fully supports the installation and use of lap-shoulder belts in school buses.”
Blue Bird states that the advancement in safety leadership “answers the call” of these, and countless other industry leaders and safety advocates, to help prevent injuries and save lives.
Benefits of lap-shoulder belts. The discussion then moved to the benefits of lap-shoulder belts, noting the enhancement to compartmentalization. Compartmentalization offers protection in frontal and in rear crashes assuming passengers are properly seated, but offers limited protection in rollover or side impact crashes. Passengers restrained by lap-shoulder belts are retained in the seating compartment, thus minimizing injury caused by body impact or surroundings.
Adding state requirements for seatbelts. Mitchell provided the following suggestions and reasonings for state requirement additions, citing Iowa state specifications as a “great example.”
- Require three-point lap-shoulder belts. Three-point lap-shoulder belts restrain the body across the chest and lap, distributing the force of a crash over a wider area of the body, reducing the risk of injury compared to lap belts that only secure the waist and pelvis.
- Do not allow lap belts. On young children, the lap belt falls across the abdominal area and in a frontal crash may contribute to internal injuries. In older or taller students, the lap belt restrains the student at the hips, allowing the upper body to project forward in an impact.
- Require minimum LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) seating. As of April 2007 in Canada, all newly built school buses are required to come equipped with child seat anchors. The minimum seating positions required to have anchors differs depending on the number of designated passenger seating positions.
Iowa State Specifications. 44.3(54) Seating, passenger restraints
- a. Lap belts will not be installed on passenger seats in large school buses (over 10,000 pounds GVWR) except in conjunction with child safety restraint systems that comply with the provisions of FMVSS No.213, Child Restraint Systems.
- b. Three-point lap-shoulder belts will be installed in all new buses. The restraint system shall include a flexible design feature, thus allowing three-two seating on the same 39-inch seat, depending on student size.
Current state requirements. As of today, only California, Texas, Nevada, New Jersey and Iowa require the use of lap+-shoulder seat belts in school buses. Arkansas law requires lap-shoulder belts if funding allows. Two states, Florida and New York, require at least lap belts on school buses.
Conclusion. The discussion made a compelling case for seat belts in school buses. Blue Bird has started to equip new school buses with a series of industry-first safety features.
Tim Gordon, Blue Bird SVP of sales and marketing, echoed the importance of school bus safety at an earlier “State of the Industry” panel at the 2024 NASDPTS Annual Conference. Blue Bird’s safety leadership was a major theme of the 2024 highlights, including the company’s partnership with IMMI and other core safety features and compliances, amplifying the goal to “Prevent Injuries and Save Lives.” Other 2024 highlights included a 32-year average tenure for Blue Bird dealers, the selection to receive an $80 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to expand the company’s electric vehicle manufacturing capabilities, the launch of Clean Bus Solutions, a school bus financing solution joint-venture with Generate Capital, the extension of Blue Bird’s exclusive collaboration with Ford/Roush CleanTech, and the company’s delivery of its 2,000th electric school bus.
Conference highlights. The NASDPTS Annual Conference is “the Association’s premier event of the year, providing unmatched opportunities for members to hear the latest information on the school transportation industry.” The improvement of school bus safety is always a goal, and was a key topic for many of the informational panels. Along with sponsor expos, networking opportunities, and keynote speakers, many hot topics were brought to life, and provided an opportunity for attendees to hear from OEMs on the outlook for the industry.