WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 31, 2007) — In advance of a Notice of Proposed Rule Making expected sometime in the next several months, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration re-released the federal docket number containing a public comments to a transcript of a July public meeting and related information on improving onboard student safety.

The public meeting on July 11 in the nation’s capital brought together pupil transportation industry stakeholders and federal and state officials to discuss school bus crashworthiness and any need to supplement compartmentalization with three-point, lap-shoulder restraint systems, high-back seats and other available technology. A NHTSA representative disclosed to interested parties on Friday that, in addition to the meeting transcript, Docket 28103 contains presentations from the meeting, public comments and an American Academy of Pediatrics report released last November that found the number of student injuries suffered in school bus crashes may be higher than previously reported.

All documents can be found at http://dms.dot.gov by clicking on “Simple Search” and entering the docket number 28103 in the search field. The deadline for the public to submit comments is Sept. 10.

Of 15 states with school bus seat belt bills this past year, only Texas enacted a new law, which also regulates charter buses used in school activity trips. Four others — Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Ohio — had bills still active. Rhode Island and Tennessee carried over legislation to the 2008 session.