Small Buses Must Have Safer Belts, U.S. Rule Says

This from Ed Week:

Mandate Also Calls for Higher Seat Backs on Larger School Buses

Smaller school buses will have to be equipped with three-point, lap-and-shoulder seat belts for the first time, and larger buses will have higher seat backs, under a federal rule announced last week.

The seat belts will only have to be installed in new buses weighing 5 tons or less, and the requirement will not take effect until 2011. These smaller school buses are already required to have lap belts, but not the safer, harness-style belts. There is no seat belt requirement for larger buses...

Reactions mixed on requiring school bus seat belts

This from the Arizona Republic:

Southeast Valley [Arizona] public school officials have differing reactions to the new school bus requirements: All new mini-buses, those weighing 10,000 pounds or less, must be equipped with lap-and-shoulder belts and all buses will have seat backs raised from 20 inches to 24 inches.

Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, indicates raising seat backs to 24 inches would "likely reduce the potential for passenger override in a crash," reads the agency's proposal, referring to the possibility of students being thrown into another seat.

The agency acknowledges that lap-and-shoulder belts could enhance the safety of large school buses, but says that "realistically . . . we recognize that funds provided for pupil transportation are limited." ...