PHOTOS: 60 Years of School Bus Seats

The bus with the seat exhibit was on display at the North Carolina state fair in October. Buster the School Bus (lower right) was also on hand.

This display on a retired Durham (N.C.) Public Schools bus shows the progression of school bus seats over the past 60 years. Here’s a view of the back of the seats.

A view of the front of the seats. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Durham Public Schools collaborated on the project to educate the public.

Some of the old school bus seats were found in junkyards. The oldest, seen here, is from 1953. Note the exposed metal frame and thin seat back. From the seat surface, it's 15 inches to the top of the seat back and 17 inches to the top of the frame. The seat back is 1.25 inches thick.

Here’s a seat from 1962. North Carolina state pupil transportation director Derek Graham says that the notch in the upper corner was for students to hold onto while standing in the aisle. The seat back is 17 inches tall (again, from the seat surface) and 2 inches thick. The seat behind it is a 2010 model that has integrated child seats.

A seat from 1972. The seat back is 18.5 inches tall and 2.5 inches thick.

A 1976 model. The seat back is 21 inches tall and 3.5 inches thick.

Here’s a 2002 school bus seat (right) and a 2013 model. The 2002 seat back has the same dimensions as the one from 1988. The 2013 seat back is 30 inches tall and 3.75 inches thick.

A staircase makes it easy for visitors to exit at the back of the bus after walking through.

Magnetic signs (as seen at left) around the bus explain federal motor vehicle safety standards that govern school bus construction and safety features. For more details about the seat project, see our blog post here.

A seat from 1988. Note how much taller and thicker the seat back has become since the older models. The seat back is 26 inches tall and 3.75 inches thick.