NHTSA Rejects Petition for Mandatory Bus Seat Belts

Aug. 25, 2011
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced in today’s Federal Register that it has denied a petition for rulemaking from the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) and 21 others asking that NHTSA mandate the installation of three-point seat belts (lap/shoulder belts) for all seating positions on all school buses

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced in today’s Federal Register that it has denied a petition for rulemaking from the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) and 21 others asking that NHTSA mandate the installation of three-point seat belts (lap/shoulder belts) for all

In 49 CFR Part 571, NHTSA wrote: “We are denying the petition because we have not found a safety problem supporting a Federal requirement for lap/shoulder belts on large school buses, which are already very safe. The decision to install seat belts on school buses should be left to State and local jurisdictions, which can weigh the need for, benefits and consequences of installing belts on large school buses and best decide whether their particular pupil transportation programs merit installation of the devices.

“We also weighed that safety need against possible negative consequences of requiring seat belts on large school buses. The greater cost to purchase and operate a large school bus with seat belts may reduce the number of school buses available for pupil transportation, and/or divert limited school transportation funds away from other necessary safety programs, such as driver and pupil training on safe loading/unloading practices”

Effective since 1977, FMVSS No. 222 contains occupant protection requirements for school bus seating positions and restraining barriers. Its requirements for school buses with GVWRs of 4,536 kilograms (kg) (10,000 pound) or less differ from those set for school buses with

GVWRs greater than 4,536 kg (10,000 lb), because the ``crash pulse," or deceleration, experienced by the small school buses is more severe than that of the large buses in similar collisions.

For the small school buses, the standard includes requirements that all seating positions must be equipped with properly installed seat belts for passengers. NHTSA decided that seat belts were necessary on small school buses to provide adequate crash protection for the occupants.