| Seat Belts on School Buses: Overview of the Issue [pdf] Published August 31, 2007. Presented to Congress by the Congressional Research Service. |
| Federal Register Notice of NHTSA Hearing on Seat Belts on School Buses [pdf] Published June 4, 2007, hearing scheduled for July 11, 2007. |
| NSTA Position Statement on Student Occupant Protection |
| NHTSA on Seat Belts on School Buses (May 2006) NHTSA outlines its views about seat belts on school buses in a question and answer format. |
| NHTSA's Child Passenger Safety Program |
| Safety Seats: The National Transportation Safety Board Urges Parents to Protect Their Children the Right Way |
| H.R. 5214 Save Every Child Using Restraints Act of 2005: (Oct. 5, 2005) Sponsored by Congressman Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA), this proposed bill would
direct the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to prescribe regulations establishing a safety standard requiring that all school buses with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds be equipped with three-point safety belts on all seats. |
| Seat Belts on School Buses: School Nurse magazine prsents the viewpoint of school nurses about the subject of seat belts on school buses. |
| FAQs About Seat Belts on School Buses: New York Dept. of Motor Vehicles Governor's Traffic Safety Committee presents a series of Frequently Asked Questions about this subject. |
| Yea or Nay to Seat Belts on School Buses? (Dec. 6, 2001) Dr. Alan German, Chief of Collision Investigations in the Road Safety Directorate at Transport Canada, led a discussion surrounding seat belts and school buses at the Road Safety Conference in Winnipeg. |
| Seat-belts in School Buses? The report by the Canada Safety Council examines the evolution of thinking regarding occupant restraints on school buses.
|
| Study to Further Enhance the Safety of Passengers in Motor Vehicles: (Oct. 1997) This study examined minibuses and large coaches. Conducted for the European Commission by the Cranfield Impact Centre of Great Britain.
|
| School Bus Crashworthiness Research: (Oct. 2002)
Presentation given at New York's 17th Annual Motor Carrier Safety Conference. PDF file of Power Point presentation by John Hinch of School Bus Crashworthiness Research. |
| NHTSA
Sends School Bus Report to Congress:
(May 7, 2002) The agency's press release accompanying transmittal
to Congress of its research report into seat belts on school
buses. |
| Report
to Congress. School Bus Safety: Crashworthiness Report:
(May 2002) A PDF version of the full, 59 page NHTSA study
into the next generation of occupant protection systems for
school buses. PDF full text version of report to Congress (April 2002) |
| NHTSA
School Bus Crashworthiness Report:
(May 2002) An abstract of the agency's study into the next
generation of occupant protection systems for school buses.
Includes links to selected video files from the school bus
research program. |
| Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: NHTSA's announces a two-year research program into the next generation of occupant protection in school buses. (August 1998) |
| American
Academy of Pediatrics: "School Transportation Safety:" A position paper of the AAP, revised in 1996 |
| American Federation of Teachers: AFT adopts
position opposing mandatory seat belts on school buses with
the exception of buses transporting students with disabilities.
Cites safety benefits from other safety strategies. 1987
|
| Associations
Reply to CNN: An Open Letter and Discussion Paper
by NAPT, NSTA & State Directors Association to Cable News
Network broadcast about seat belts on school buses. 1998 |
| Association
of School Business Officials International: "Evaluating
the Seat Belt Issue," Chapter 10 from ASBO's Issues in Pupil
Transportation, 1987 |
| Center
for Urban Transportation Research: Experiences of
814 school districts that operate large school buses equipped
with seatbelts, 1994 |
|
Chicago Seat Belt Ordinance: Chicago ordinance requires
seat belts on school buses operating within the city. 1986
|
| Cornell
University study: Seat Belts on School Buses |
|
Crash Test Analysis: Chapter 3 of the New Jersey study
gives a synopsis of five bus and sled crash tests of seat
belts. |
|
Critique: Dr. Arthur Yeager of the NCSSB critiques
the Transport Canada seat belt test results. 1985 |
| Dialogue:
A dialogue about school bus safety by top NHTSA official,
with comments about seat belts. 1989 |
| Exchange
of Corespondance: An exchange of correspondence between
New Jersey commissioners about seat belts on school buses.
|
| Feds
Consider Seat Belts: Newspaper article about Federal
program, 1998 |
| Florida
Safety Belt Law: Section 316.6145 applies specifically
to school buses |
| Florida:
Legal Opinion on School Bus Safety Belts, DBPM 02-11
[requires Adobe Acrobat Reader] |
| Lap
Belts in Small School Buses: This NTSB Highway Accident
Report examines the effectiveness of lap belts in a crash
involving a small school bus that was hit broadside by a 66,500
lb. tractor-trailer. 1993 |
| Letter
to the Editor: New York State pupil transportation
official criticizes CUTR study. 1995 |
| Levy
Hearing: Testimony by National Coalition for Seat
Belts on School Buses before Levy Hearings in New York Senate.
1988 |
| Medical
Viewpoint: The medical community is quite unanimous
about the value of seat belts on large school buses. |
|
NAPT Urges Seat Belt Study: NAPT urges the federal
government to look into seat belts on school buses, 1998 |
| NASDPTS: "Passenger Crash Protection in Large School Buses," A position
paper of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil
Transportation Services. Revised January 1999 |
| NASDPTS
Letter to Sen. Ruben: National Association of State
Directors of Pupil Transportation Services outlines its opposition
to proposed Maryland seat belt bill. Also replies to recent
CNN broadcast urging seat belts on all school buses. 1998 |
| National
Association for Pupil Transportation: The position
of the NAPT regarding the issue of seat belts on school buses,
1997 |
| National
Coalition on School Bus Safety: Testimony by the coalition
before the National Transportation Safety Board. 1994 |
| National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The federal
agency's official position on seat belts in school buses.
Issued September 1997 |
| NHTSA
Discussion Paper: This paper formed the basis of NHTSA's
presentation during an Occupant Protection Workshop, Aug.
9, 1998 |
| NHTSA
Interpretation Letter: Agency clarifies seat belt
policy to school bus distributor, 1988. |
| NHTSA
Interpretation Letter: NHTSA Chief Counsel's letter
clarifies agency's position on seat belts in school buses.
1996 |
| NHTSA
Report Number DOT HS 806 890: "An Evaluation
of Child Passenger Safety: The Effectiveness And Benefits
of Safety Seats," February, 1986 |
| National
Safety Council: "Safety-Belt Issue Still Locked Up",
1997 |
| National
Safety Council: The NSC's position on seat belts in
large school buses, 1986 |
| National
School Transportation Association: The official position
of the NSTA regarding the issue of seat belts on school buses,
1984 |
| National
Seat Belt Coalition: The coalition offers an explanation
of the dynamics of a crash. Every motor vehicle crash is actually
comprised of three collisions. |
| National
Transportation Safety Board: "Study of Crashworthiness
of Large Poststandard School Buses," 1987 |
| NCSBS:
Position statement by the National Coalition for School Bus
Safety, 1997 |
| NCST
Resolution on Seat Belts: Resolution of the 10th National
Conference on School Transportation discouraging mandatory
seat belts on school buses, 1985
|
| New
Hampshire School Transportation Association: Position
paper on seat belts on school buses by the NHSTA, 6-11-02,
[PDF file] |
| New
Jersey Institute of Technology State-sponsored study
of seat belts on school buses, December 1989 |
| New
Jersey Seat Belt Law: Statutory language mandating
seat belts on school buses in New Jersey, 1992 |
| New
York Association for Pupil Transportation: NYAPT's
1997 study of seat belt usage on New York school buses |
| New
York Seat Belt Usage Policy: State regulation describing
seat belt usage policy; model seat belt use policy statement
for New York, 1987. |
| Seat
Belts on Buses in New York State: Results of a survey
about seat belt usage in New York by the New York State Education
Department. November 1998 [PDF file] |
| NJIT
Accident Investigation: A review and critique of several
major school bus accident investigations. December 1989 |
| North
Carolina: Review of Issues and Research:
Paper presented at North Carolina School Bus Safety Conference,
1996 |
| Abstract
of NTSB's School Bus Crash Protection Report: Results
and recommendations following NTSB study into improving bus
crashworthiness for school buses and motorcoaches. Sept. 1999 |
| NTSB
Chairman: Remarks by Jim Hall, Chairman of the National
Transportation Safety Board to the National Association for
Pupil Transportation, Nov. 1998 |
| NTSB
Child Safety Initiatives: A report to the Child Transportation
Safety Conference by the National Transportation Safety Board,
June, 1995 |
| Oklahoma
DOE: Letter from state pupil transportation chief
to Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, following
Synder, Okla. fatalities, 1993 |
| Oklahoma
Viewpoint: State school transportation leader declares
opposition to 2-point lap belts and compartmentalization,
favors 3-point safety belt system. 1998 |
| Ontario
Ministry of Transportation: Background Paper on the
Issue of Whether School Buses Should be Equipped with Seat
Belts |
|
Ontario School Bus Association: A position paper opposing
the mandatory installation of seat belts on school buses by
the largest association of private school bus contractors
in Canada, 1995 |
|
Orthopaedic Surgeons: A position statement about safety
belts on school buses by the American Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons, revised in 1992 |
| Proposed
Seat Belt Bills: School bus seat belt bills were introduced
in 14 state legislatures in 1997. None were enacted |
| Province
of Ontario: Ministry of Transportation gives provincial
government's official position on seat belts in school buses.
|
| 1998
PTA Resolution on Seat Belts: Resolution of the 27th
National PTA supporting seat belts on school buses, 1998 |
| 1985
PTA Resolution on Seat Belts: Resolution of the 14th
National PTA supporting seat belts on school buses, 1985 |
| Safe-T-Bar:
Manufacturer of lap bar for large school buses announces self-certificaiton
to FMVSS 222 and 302. 1999 |
| School
Bus Accident Investigation: N.J. DOT reviews school
bus accident investigations. Accident results of belted, unbelted
occupants reviewed. |
| Seatbelts
on Motorcoaches?: United Motorcoach Association issues
White Paper titled "Why Doesn't My New Motorcoach have Seat
Belts?" February 1999 |
| Seatbelts
and Standees: Testimony at public hearing on seat
belts on school buses and the elimination of standees in Nassau
County, N.Y. 1985 |
| Special
Report 222: The Transportation Research Board's Special
Report 222, "Improving School Bus Safety", 1989 |
| Transport
Canada: The Canadian federal government's official
position on seat belts in school buses. |
| Transport
Canada Background Paper Background paper on school
bus occupant protection in Canada. |
| Transport
Canada Tests Canadian seat belt studies equivalent
to 1967 and 1972 UCLA tests. |
| UCLA
Crash Tests: A summary presentation of the 1967 and
1972 bus and sled crash tests administered at the University
of California Los Angeles, 1967 and 1972. |
| Use
Rates: Nationwide, observed (automobile) safety belt
use rates. |
| United
Motorcoach Association: "Why doesn't my motorcoach
have seatbelts?" A white Paper by the UMA. February 1999
|
| Viewpoint:
Seat belt proponent says article in New England Journal of
Medicine challenges compartmentalization. 1998 |
| Virginia
DOE on HB 1884: Dept. of Education comments to legislative
sponsors of proposed seat belt bill. 1998 |
| Why
Not: Why Seatbelts Should Not be Installed on Large
School Buses. By Ned Einstein. 1999 |
| The
Endless Debate: The "Great School Bus Seat Belt Debate" has been underway for nearly three decades! This page quotes
a 1969 federal law directing a definitive study of seat belts
on school buses. |
