WWYD re: Booster in School Suburban

morlando27

New member
I posted over on the Child Restraint for Buses forum too (http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=235592) but this part isn't a technical question...would you allow your 4 year old ride in a nbb on the Suburban-style school "bus"? I would never dream of allowing him to ride in a booster in a personal vehicle. I've had a hard time adjusting to the idea of allowing my 8yo to use a nbb so it seems absurd to let my 4yo use one but the school just switched DS's UPK bus run to a Suburban and wants me to use their nbb. I asked if I could provide a hbb instead but the transportation director that would need to approve it is out of town at training this week and they were concerned that a hbb would take up too much room (and I'm sure be more of a pain for them to deal with taking in & out of the bus). Would you be okay with allowing your child to use a nbb for a 5 mile ride to school? Alternate transportation isn't an option.
 
ADS

morlando27

New member
Never mind...I put DS2 in DS1's nbb in my car tonight and there's no way I'm letting him use one any time soon even for a short ride on a school "bus". The shoulder belt was in his face and he wasn't in it for 30 seconds before he put the shoulder belt behind his back. I'm really hoping the school will go back to using a regular bus instead of the Suburban when they realize all students under 8 years old are required to use a booster or car seat in it.
 

YinzerMama

New member
good luck! I was wondering what set a school suburban apart from a normal one. Nothing I guess? One of my girls doesn't even meet the weight for a no back booster so I would at least have that to back me up. Both are too short though. So no I wouldn't be OK with it. Can you get together with parents of the other little kids and have a meeting over this?
 

Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
If you get into issues with it I would check into how your state defines "school bus." Often there are very specific criteria, and I'm betting a Suburban being called a bus does not qualify, and would therefore be subject to the same rules regarding child passenger restraints as any vehicle.
 

morlando27

New member
good luck! I was wondering what set a school suburban apart from a normal one. Nothing I guess? One of my girls doesn't even meet the weight for a no back booster so I would at least have that to back me up. Both are too short though. So no I wouldn't be OK with it. Can you get together with parents of the other little kids and have a meeting over this?

I don't think there's anything different other than the paint scheme and flashing lights on the roof.

If I don't get anywhere myself, I could try getting together with other parents but I seem to be the only one that has even questioned the school and requested a booster. The other parents are letting their kids ride in just the seat belt. While they just switched to a Suburban for my DS's route, they've been using one on the other route since September and I think they're all just using the seat belts.

If you get into issues with it I would check into how your state defines "school bus." Often there are very specific criteria, and I'm betting a Suburban being called a bus does not qualify, and would therefore be subject to the same rules regarding child passenger restraints as any vehicle.

I think it would be considered a school vehicle, not a school bus, since I assume it isn't built to federal school bus safety standards so it would be subject to the occupant restraint laws, which require an appropriate child restraint through age 7.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
I'd want to see their boosters first, check the date, make sure all parts are there, etc. But since your kiddo doesn't even fit a backless yet I'd go with no, same as you.
 

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