school bus safety

tesslouise · Jun 24, 2014

I'm sure this has been discussed but I haven't been able to find it while searching on my phone. At what age/weight does compartmentalization (as in, on a school bus) become safe/effective? DD1 will turn 5 in August and begin kindergarten a few weeks later. Last year she weighed 29 lbs.; I'm sure she's still under 35. If she won't be safe unbelted on a bus, then I'll need to work out one of us (DH, MIL, or me) driving her to school for a year. And picking her up. Ugh.

cantabdad · Jun 25, 2014

There are federal NHTSA guidelines for transporting "pre-school age" children on school buses, with the main recommendation being to use age-appropriate child restraints (either a specialized type for school bus use, or a regular carseat installed on the bus).

The document does not give a precise weight limit, but there is a reference to 50 lbs. and some organizations use that as a benchmark. See for example this info sheet from the National Safety Council:
http://www.nsc.org/news_resources/R...Safety_Infants_Toddlers_and_Pre-schoolers.pdf

In other discussions I have heard folks use 40 lbs. as a benchmark, though I don't know what that specifically is based on. Either way, in your case, you will need to work with the school district to find an appropriate solution. My understanding is that local practices vary widely -- some districts will use a different bus, provide a 5-point harness, or at a minimum allow you to install a carseat.

school bus safety

tesslouise

New member

cantabdad

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics