Occupant Restraint - FAQ STN Media Co. 700 Torrance Bl. The following information is provided as a guide to some of the most frequently asked questions about seat belts on school buses. The list of questions does not pretend to be inclusive. Let's assume seat belts are mandated nationwide. You mentioned retrofitting.
Compartmentalization appears to be suited to front or rear impact collisions.
Many parents are worried about the contradiction between the need to use seat belts and child passenger seats in automobiles and the lack of these safety devices in school buses, which don't require seat belts. One reason seat belts are not required on school buses is that the greater weight and mass of a school bus means that passengers are less vulnerable in a school bus than in an automobile, and they sit above the usual point of impact. Another is the school bus passengers are not seated near doors or large window openings, so they are not likely to be thrown from the vehicle. Protection from ejection is a primary function of automobile seat belts. But the main reason is that school buses incorporate a passive restraint system called compartmentalization, which is designed to protect children without seat belts.