Experience of districts Discipline generally improves when seat belts are on the bus. All of the transportation directors in the study, even those initially opposed to the trial belt programs, supported decisions to equip their entire fleets with belts. The calmer climate produced by seat belt usage allows drivers to concentrate better on their driving and observe more carefully the students in the danger zones outside the bus. The type of belts used have been a problem in certain districts. Long black belts with removable buckles are not recommended because vandalism, and tripping hazards.
More districts add buses with belts each year for a variety of reasons.
Some districts now transport preschool children and are using belts for children with child safety seats and without. Mildly handicapped students are also sometimes being transported, belted, in larger buses in some districts. Since belted school bus passengers have shown few injuries in crashes, they are usually not publicized by the media. And The National Transportation Safety Board has studied few bus crashes where children are protected by belts. All 14 students were belted, none injured.