WASHINGTON, D.C. — The much-publicized "seat belt summit" in the nation's capital Wednesday produced at least one major development: federal regulators promised that action will be taken to improve occupant crash protection.

NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason said that her agency would use the information presented in the day-long meeting to develop a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at improving school bus passenger crash protection.

Roger Saul, director of crashworthiness rulemaking for NHTSA, said that the NPRM would likely call for higher seat backs and establish performance requirements for seat belts. Saul said that the notice was targeted for early 2008.

The meeting was attended by more than 100 people with a stake in pupil transportation safety, including representatives of the major school bus associations. Bob Riley, executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, said his organization neither favors nor opposes the use of lap-shoulder belts in large school buses, but also realizes that several state legislatures have created laws that require districts to use either lap or lap-shoulder belts. "[I]f funding were made available for the installation of lap-shoulder belts in school buses, the state directors association would support their installation," Riley said. Also attending was U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, who said her office is interested in exploring ways to make school buses safer for children. “We owe it to our children to look at this issue with fresh eyes. With that in mind, it’s time to look at seat belts on buses,” she added.