school bus safety

Unregistered · May 19, 2004

Hello,

Does anyone have any information about school bus safety vs. safety in a family car? Do school busses normally have seat belts now? What about mini busses?

Thanks for any info,
Vannesa

SafeDad · May 19, 2004

Full size school buses are extremely safe, even with no seatbelt system. The statistic often quoted is that they are 172 times safer than any other form of ground transportation.

The reasons are fairly simple. The drivers are trained. They follow the same routes every day. The sheer size and mass protect the occupants in a crash. The size, bright yellow color and flashing lights make them very visible. The energy absorbing "compartmentalized" seats with high backs serve a similar function to seat belts in a frontal crash.

So, the actual travel is much safer in a full size school bus than a family car. Most of the injuries related to school buses are outside the bus when loading and unloading kids.

Smaller busses are also very safe, though newer regulations often require seatbelt systems- especially for pre-schoolers.

SafeDad · May 27, 2004

It turns out the 172x statistic is based on totals. The normalized fatality numbers based on vehicle miles traveled show that school buses are about 8 times safer than traveling to school in passenger cars.

No federal laws mandate seatbelts in full sized school buses, though NHTSA does have voluntary guidelines on the topic. Smaller school buses and any buses for Head Start programs may be required to have seatbelts and/or LATCH, depending on the weight of the bus and any relevant state or local laws. Seatbelt systems are available/optional on all new buses, but in many areas the school districts are not mandated to include them when they order new buses.

If your child is in a booster (usually 5+ years old and above 40 pounds), then they are probably safest without using a seatbelt or restraint system in a full sized school bus. Preschoolers probably do need a restraint system of some time, especially in a smaller bus.

Unregistered · Jun 1, 2004

Thank you very much for your helpful info!

marytara · Jul 27, 2004

My son goes to preschool (special ed) on a small bus. They have carseats on the bus and the bus company contacted us prior to enrollment to ask my carseat needs.

school bus safety

Unregistered

Guest

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin

Unregistered

Guest

marytara

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics