Why don't we have bus restraints for small children available in the U.S.?

[ketchupqueen]

In speaking to a friend who lives in the Netherlands (where car driving is not done very often-- mostly people ride bikes, walk, or ride public transport), it came up that when her son was very small and they would take him on the bus, they had a harnessed seat that attached to the bus seat by straps that went around, cam-wrap style. I know some of these devices are sold for use in school buses (such as the SafeGuard STAR (http://www.safeguardseat.com/bus/products_star.htm) seat.)

My question is this: if it can be approved for sale and use in school buses, why can't we get a similar restraint that can be used on public buses? I would feel much safer taking my young children on the bus (where there are not any lap belts to secure their car seats, etc., and we often go ON THE FREEWAY here in L.A.) if I had some way to secure my under-40-lb. children while on the bus. (It would be a bonus if it could be used on the train, too.)

Is there some regulation that forbids this? If so, why? I think public transport ought to be a safe and viable option for people of ALL ages. I realize it's safer already than driving in the car-- but I DO hear of crashes involving buses and often injuries and sometimes even deaths every year, so I'm understandably nervous about having totally unrestrained small children on them, as I know many others are.

As a bonus, it would keep them SEATED. Sometimes it's not even a safety issue in a crash, but it's not safe for them to be standing, running around, etc. when the bus stops and starts up again either, and when you are one parent watching multiple children, it can be hard to keep them seated at all times, especially at certain ages.

[CelticLabyrinth]

My thought is that public bus seats tend to be very varied in how they are made. Unless they were made uniformly it would be difficult to create a seat to work in all situations. That and you often have "standing room only" on public buses- I've seen kids as young as 3 and 4 standing on buses. Plus there are rear facing, forward facing, and side facing seats on buses- it's just a lot of different variables that unless there was some legislation passed to require all public buses accommodate a sort of child restraint it probably won't happen.

[An Aurora]

Because buses are inherently very safe. School buses can and do have special restraints.

[ketchupqueen]

Because buses are inherently very safe. School buses can and do have special restraints.

Yes, I know that.

But obviously this product was at some point available in another part of the world. Why has the need not been addressed here?

I'm not even asking that they be made mandatory, that they be suitable for all buses, or anything like that.

Just that they be AVAILABLE to parents who WANT them, and would use them frequently (we'd ride the bus a lot more if they were available-- I've NEVER seen a standing-room-only bus during the times and routes we travel, even during rush hour there are a few extra seats), and regulated if they were available (in the same way that you aren't required to buy a plane ticket for your child under 2, but you can, and if you do buy a ticket you must use a FAA certified restraint, etc.)

[An Aurora]

Because the US is not safety concious in the the slightest and nobody would use it. Granted, you would, and I would, but 99.9% of the general population would scoff.

[ketchupqueen]

Okay. Could they make the price high enough to support it even if people didn't all buy it? Like the CARES harness?

Can we get IMMI interested in this? Who can we contact and try to get them involved?

If there is a demand (which there would eventually be if word was effectively spread), what I'm curious about is, are there regulations which would PREVENT this from coming to market? And if so, what would have to be done to change that?