New Bus Dept
Seat Belts Requirements
By New School Bus Department
Mar 2, 2004, 12:15

Did You Know?

California Legislature-AB 15, requires that school buses manufactured on or after January 1, 2002 (since changed to 2004 & 2005) and purchased or leased for use in California have a “passenger restraint system,“ as specified, at all designated seating positions, unless specifically prohibited by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Section 38047.5 is added to the Education Code, to read: The State Board of Education shall adopt regulations to require a passenger in a school bus equipped with passenger restraint system in accordance with Section 27316 of the Vehicle Code to use a passenger restraint system so that the passenger is properly restrained by that system. Section 27316 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: (a) Unless specifically prohibited by NHTSA, all school buses...shall be equipped at all designated seating positions with a combination pelvic and upped torso passenger restraint system.

Facts

• Blue Bird Corporation has offered lap type seat belts for use in its school buses for over 20 years.

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• The three point passenger restraint system may significantly reduce the capacity of a school bus.

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• School buses are the safest form of surface transportation, transporting some 21 million children to and from school each day.

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• Small, van type school buses (under 10,000 pounds gross weight) are required to have safety belts for all occupants as standard equipment since these vehicles are similar to passenger cars.

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• NHTSA believes that the occupant protection required in school buses manufactured after April 1, 1977, plus the inherent safety of a highly recognizable vehicle that travels on a regular route, provides a high level of safety protection.

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How Can We Help?

A-Z Bus Sales has been working with Blue Bird Corporation to bring to you the options that are available.  We currently have the ability to retrofit older buses with lap belts if this make sense for your district. While it is true that seating capacity will be reduced, we are working to bring you the maximum capacity by working with seating manufacturers as well as seat belt manufacturers to insure that your district needs are met.

What Can You Do?

Analyze your districts needs.  Since capacity will be reduced, you may need more buses and more drivers to serve the same routes you service now. A lot can be done with proper planning to make this transition less stressful.

If you haven’t already begun, start a bus replacement program. This will insure that funds are allocated to not only purchase buses built to the new standards but that, should it be determined that retro fitting is the way to go, the funds are available.

Please contact Jim Reynolds, New School Bus Manager, at (800) 437-5522 ext. 1853 or at jreynolds@a-zbus.com for more information.