Q. What states require seat belts on school buses?
California is the only state requiring lap-shoulder belts on new buses. New York, New Jersey and Florida require lap belts on new buses. Starting in 2010, all new buses purchased by Texas school districts will require lap-shoulder belts. Each year, 20 to 30 states have bills calling for seat belts to be mandatory on new school buses. Most proposed bills are driven by grassroots activity that compels a local representative to author a bill. Some states are waiting for NHTSA to revise current FMVSS 222 to include a performance standard for lap-shoulder belts.

Q. What options do I have for lap-shoulder belts on my school bus?
Current companies that sell buses equipped with lap-shoulder belts offer the option of two lap-shoulder belts on a 39-inch or 30-inch seat or three lap-shoulder belts on a 45-inch seat. Before the introduction of the 39-inch FlexSeat, seating capacity has been reduced and has never been flexible on either type of seat.

Q. Will children wear lap-shoulder belts on school buses?
Children come out of the hospital buckled into a car seat. They’re conditioned from birth to be belted while in a moving vehicle. Pilot studies and field studies have shown that with proper and enforced policies in place, administered by the school district, compliance rates can be very high. NHTSA conducted a study of usage, which concludes that states with primary usage laws have higher seat belt usage than those with secondary or no usage laws. As with any other bus behavior policies, seat belt usage policies must be actively reinforced for the safety of the children.

Q. Will lap-shoulder belts improve children's behavior on school buses?
Bus drivers who have used SafeGuard seats observe that behavioral issues and noise levels drop. Children were less inclined to move around in their seats, stand while the bus is moving or talk to those several rows ahead of them.

Q. I’m concerned that children will destroy seat belts, increasing maintenance costs.
Results with tens of thousands of lap-shoulder belted seats in the field for more than five years have shown the opposite to be true. Sales of SafeGuard replacement covers and restraint components have been minimal. Response from users indicates that student behavior is significantly improved and that the calmer environment is not conducive to students acting destructively. The SafeGuard FlexSeat has been designed to be serviceable in the field. Seat belts on SafeGuard bus seats can be accessed quickly by removing the inner SmartFrame®. They can be easily replaced in about 15 minutes. For more information, contact customer service at 877-447-2305.

Q. Can lap-shoulder belts be used as weapons?
In the past, some lap belts were designed with a massive steel buckle threaded on a long web, making it possible to swing. Modern lap-shoulder belts use retractable systems for the lightweight tongue. The buckle is attached to the seat with a short piece of webbing, making it nearly impossible to swing.

Q. Will lap-shoulder belts reduce my ability to fit children of a range of sizes?
Adjustable lap-shoulder belts properly fit occupants of a wide range of sizes, from a four year-old, 40-pound child, through a large adult. When using the three-seat configuration, the maximum weight for the center child is 70 lbs.

Q. Can I fit the same number of seats in my buses?
The seatback thickness of the FlexSeat is virtually the same as current FMVSS 222 school bus seats, so the number of rows available for seating is typically not reduced.

Q. I can get three high school sized kids in my current FMVSS 222 seat. Won’t I lose capacity with lap-shoulder belts?
If you are transporting three high school-sized kids in your current seats, the occupant in the aisle seat is likely to be seated outside of the seating compartment. According to NHTSA, “Persons not sitting or sitting partially outside of the school bus seats will not be afforded the occupant protection provided by the school bus seats.”

Q. How will students get out of lap-shoulder belts if there is an accident?
Evacuation training is essential for all students riding a school bus, whether the bus is equipped or not equipped with restraints. Training prepares children to respond calmly in the event of an accident.

Students are less likely to be injured in a bus accident when they are wearing restraints. A properly restrained child who has not been injured can release himself and evacuate more quickly than one who requires a stretcher for evacuation. Buckles are designed and tested to unlatch with the push of a button, even in a bus rollover. Fully loaded, federal motor vehicle safety standards require that the force required to push the button on a buckle must be less than 14 lbs.

In an emergency, the most significant limitation to evacuation of a bus is the design of emergency exits. A large number of evacuees must move through a single exit door, one at a time, to one person on the outside. In an accident, this process creates a greater timing challenge than the few additional seconds required to release restraints.