The use of seat belts on school buses has been widely debated in recent years. Federal regulations do not currently require that passenger seats in school buses with GVWRs greater than 10,000 lbs. be equipped with seat belts. In view of the effectiveness of the current safety standards, and the excellent safety record of school buses generally, we do not believe that a Federal requirement for safety belts in large school buses is warranted. The agency believes that safety belts are necessary and effective in providing occupant protection in those vehicles because of their similarity to cars, and we encourage all passengers to wear their belts whenever the vehicles are in motion. It is important to emphasize that the Federal standards specify the minimum safety requirements applicable to school buses.
Nothing prohibits a State or local jurisdiction from purchasing buses equipped with safety belts.
Many other organizations believe that post-1977 school buses should be equipped with seat belts to maximize occupant protection. Seat-belt use will improve passenger behavior and reduce driver distractions. Reductions in driver distractions may translate into accidents avoided. Others raise several objections to a policy that requires belts to be installed on all new buses. School bus collisions that result in deaths or serious injuries to passengers are often catastrophic accidents that involve tractor trailer trucks, trains, massive fixed objects, and so forth.