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The state directors association had previously expressed its support for lap-shoulder belts if funding is made available. At the annual NASDPTS conference, the board strengthens its position by dropping the funding clause. Safety topics were the focus of many conference sessions.
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Del. Scott Lingamfelter introduces a resolution that calls for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the effectiveness of requiring seat belts on school buses in Virginia. Among other tasks, the commission would have to consult and summarize the findings of past and current studies on the effectiveness of requiring seat belts on school buses and solicit input from each local school board on the effectiveness and cost of requiring the belts on every yellow bus.
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Several Massachusetts legislators are renewing efforts to require seat belts in large school buses. Four bills are currently under consideration in the state Legislature.
Read More →In response to NTSB recommendations, NASDPTS says it will develop guidelines to assist schools in training bus drivers, students and parents on “the importance and proper use” of various types of school bus seat belts. The state directors association says it will also develop educational materials on “lap and shoulder belts providing the highest level of protection for school bus passengers” — another NTSB recommendation.
Read More →The rule, which amends FMVSS 208, applies to new over-the-road buses and to other types of new buses with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 26,000 pounds, except transit buses and school buses. Requiring seat belts could reduce fatalities by up to 44% and reduce the number of moderate to severe injuries by up to 45%, according to NHTSA.
Read More →Legislators may consider the issue next year, and some are already expressing opinions on both sides. One representative acknowledges that state money for seat belts is limited, but he asks his colleagues, “What is the value of a child’s life?” Others point to potential difficulties bus drivers could have in making sure all students are buckled up.
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The state directors association had previously expressed its support for lap-shoulder belts if funding is made available. Now, the NASDPTS board strengthens its position by dropping the funding clause. However, the association is not calling for a requirement. “We believe this should be a local decision based on local need,” NASDPTS President Max Christensen says.
Read More →When Tim Cullen was a board member for Janesville (Wis.) School District, he ushered in a policy to require seat belts on new school buses. Now, as a state senator, Cullen is pushing for a statewide mandate.
Read More →The supplier hosted SafeGuard: School Bus Safety 101 on Aug. 8. The event brought together elected leaders, school officials, emergency responders and parents to discuss behavioral and safety issues facing children on school buses. It featured a head-on school bus crash demonstration to show what happens to belted and unbelted passengers.
Read More →NASDPTS says that the federal agency's investigation of the Chesterfield, N.J., school bus crash pointed out a number of student transportation concerns, including driver fatigue and medications. Also, NASDPTS says that the findings reinforce the association's support of lap-shoulder belts for school buses, as long as funding is made available for them.
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