Mandatory School Bus Seat Belts
and School Bus Safety

American Federal of Teachers Executive Council

Adopted July 1987

WHEREAS, Federal legislation has been introduced to tie federal education funding for states to the requirement of mandatory lap seat belts on all school buses, and

WHEREAS, legislation requiring mandatory lap seat belts in school buses has been introduced in 23 states and passed in one (New York), and

WHEREAS, existing data suggests that the use of lap seat belts on school buses may not aid in the reduction of injuries and deaths, and

WHEREAS, the most recent study, which was completed by the National Transportation Safety Board in March, 1987 found that existing federal standards, updated in 1977, provide "an extremely safe form of transportation" with an "egg carton" effect from higher, padded seat backs and seats spaced closer together and concluded that passengers in 43 accidents studied would have received "no net benefit from lap belt use", and

WHEREAS, some other factors which argue against the mandatory use of lap seat belts on buses are:

• Standees - 14 states specifically authorize standees on school buses, but the problem persists in other states as well.
• Enforceability - school bus drivers would not be able to enforce the use of lap seat belts while driving the bus without the help of the bus monitors or aides.
• Evacuation - the use of lap seat belts can slow evacuation of passengers in the event of an accident when it is possible for a school bus to fill with toxic fumes or burn in 7½ minutes.
• Discipline - seat belts can be used as weapons by students, greatly increasing discipline problems and distractions to the driver, and

WHEREAS, school buses are currently the safest form of transportation on our nation's roads with 22.4 million students transported safely over 3.5 billion miles in the 1984-85 school year, and

WHEREAS, the largest proportion of school bus-related deaths and accidents occur outside the school bus (78% in 1984-85), and these deaths and injuries could be decreased or eliminated by:

• quipping school buses with other types of safety equipment such as:
  more highly visible stop arms for drivers and crossing stop arms for students,
  outside public address systems to warn crossing students of danger,
  2-way radios for communication in emergencies
• defrosters for all school bus windows
• Instituting student and driver safety training programs which have also proven effective in reduction of deaths and injuries
• Increasing penalties for drivers who pass or ignore a school bus stop signal or stop arm, and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress has approved funds for a comprehensive study of school bus safety by the Transportation Research Board under the direction of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with a completion date set for October, 1988;

RESOLVED, that the AFT cannot favor mandating the use of seat belts on school buses (with the exception of buses transporting handicapped students which currently require seat belts, carry fewer children on smaller buses and have the assistance of bus aides) unless the following factors are met:

• New evidence is provided showing significant improvement would be made to the existing excellent safety record of school buses and school bus drivers.
• Guarantees are made that the school bus driver will not be responsible for monitoring the use of seat belts while at the same time driving the bus in a safe and timely manner
• Greater efforts are made at the state level to eliminate standees on school buses
• More effective safety equipment is provided for all existing and future school buses and all Pre-1977 buses are replaced, and

RESOLVED, that the AFT opposes any federal legislation which would withhold education funds from school districts which did not require lap seat belts on school buses, and

RESOLVED, that AFT state federations be encouraged to oppose any state legislation which would require use of lap seat belts on all school buses, and

RESOLVED, that efforts be made to educate school and community leaders about safety equipment and other means of increasing school bus safety, and

RESOLVED, that the AFT actively support the development and expansion of bus safety education programs in schools.