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Effective since October 21, 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has regulated the design and performance of lap-shoulder belt protection on school bus seating. FMVSS 222 now focuses on improving the crashworthiness of school buses and making school travel safer for children by mandating lap-shoulder belts for buses 10,000 lbs. GVWR and less. With this update to FMVSS 222, the industry now has design parameters and testing standards for belted seating, along with an ongoing requirement for true compartmentalization, provided exclusively by SafeGuard through SmartFrame.

If NHTSA had any concerns about the safety of lap shoulder belts on school buses, these regulations would never have been published.

SafeGuard school bus seats exceed all applicable government safety standards for school bus seats.

SafeGuard shared a significant amount of testing data with NHTSA in a collaborative effort to help establish parameters for design and testing of belted seating for school buses.

In addition to the static tests required by FMVSS 222 and 210, SafeGuard school bus seats are dynamically sled tested at the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation (CAPE). SafeGuard FlexSeat equips buses to meet FMVSS 209 restraint performance requirements, FMVSS 210 anchorage requirements, FMVSS 213 child passenger safety seat requirements, FMVSS 222 requirements for bus seat design and performance, and FMVSS 225 LATCH requirements.

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California (2005), Texas (2017), New Jersey (2019), Nevada (2019) and Iowa (2019) require lap-shoulder belts on new buses. New York, and Florida require lap belts on new buses. 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 local grassroots activity.

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 administered policies in place, compliance rates are very high. As with any other bus behavior policies, seat belt usage policies must be actively communicated for the safety of the children.

While the safety advantages of lap-shoulder belts usually push school districts to move ahead with lap-shoulder belts, transportation managers and drivers say the behavior benefits are the most significant daily impact they see. Children are less inclined to move around in their seats, stand while the bus is moving or talk to those several rows away from them. There is no greater deterrent to bullying and unruly behavior than keeping children in their seats. Additionally, when children stay in their seats, drivers are less distracted, further improving safety on the school bus.

In the past, some lap belts were designed with a heavy steel buckle threaded on a long web, making them possible to swing. Modern lap-shoulder belts use retractable systems for the lightweight tongue. As with most passenger cars, the buckle is attached to the seat with a short piece of webbing, making them impossible to swing.

Before SafeGuard/IMMI introduced FlexSeat in 2007, seat designs that included lap-shoulder belts took away flexibility and reduced overall bus capacity by forcing the choice of seats with either two or three positions. Because of this constraint, school transportation directors were forced to purchase additional buses, reduce routes or change routes to optimize the use of their buses. The introduction of the SafeGuard FlexSeat alleviated these concerns by offering the flexibility of transporting either two or three children on every seat, while ensuring that they all have lap-shoulder belts.

Just like fire drills in schools, evacuation training is essential for all students riding on a school bus, whether the bus is equipped or not equipped with restraints. In the past, some lap belts were designed with a heavy steel buckle threaded on a long web, making them possible to swing. Modern lap-shoulder belts use retractable systems for the lightweight tongue. As with most passenger cars, the buckle is attached to the seat with a short piece of webbing, making them impossible to swing. 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. Per Federal requirements, buckles are designed and tested to unlatch with the same force on the button whether the belt has no load or is fully loaded by the weight of the passenger.

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 evacuation challenge than the additional second required to release a restraint.

As noted in the response above, a properly restrained child who has not been injured is much better able to evacuate in any type of 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, and the key element in a quick evacuation is uninjured, conscious passengers. In an accident without belts, the risks of injury and unconsciousness increase greatly.

IMMI engineers conducted a usage study in 2007 and 2010 with the FlexSeat, evaluating how children ages 6 to 16 interacted with the product. Approximately 60 children were involved in the study. Even without instruction, none of the children used the product improperly. With very minimal training, children were all able to use the sliding dual buckle and the shoulder height adjuster for greater comfort.

Of course, as with any other school bus procedures, children should be educated in the proper use of SafeGuard school bus seating.

In the event of a frontal crash, the padded seat backs yield to absorb the energy of the unbelted child who impacts the seat back and then ideally returns the child to their original seating position. If the child is partially in the aisle or not seated properly upright and facing forward, compartmentalization offers less effective protection in a frontal collision. In the event of a rollover or side-impact collision, compartmentalization offers virtually no protection for children. In these types of accidents, children are likely to be ejected out of their seats, and injuries are likely to occur. Seat belts provide the best protection in any moving vehicle.

The 1999 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Special Investigation Report concluded: “Current compartmentalization is incomplete in that it does not protect school bus passengers during lateral impacts with vehicles of large mass and in rollovers, because in such accidents, passengers do not always remain completely within the seating compartment.” 1.

According to the American Trucking Association, since 1980 travel on US highways has nearly doubled. The nation’s population has risen 27 percent; heavy truck registrations have increased by 61 percent; heavy truck vehicle-miles traveled have risen by 102 percent, and passenger vehicle-miles traveled have gone up by 87 percent. Yet the highway system has only been expanded by about three percent over the same period. In this new era of heavy traffic on US highways, school buses share roads with more heavy trucks and passenger vehicle traffic.

School buses are now used more often for longer distance school trips and sporting events, requiring travel on interstates and highways. This increases the likelihood that there will be a high-speed crash. Students are too often not properly seated within their compartments and will not receive available protection. All of these factors together result in a potential for more deadly collisions on school buses and potentially increased liability for the school district.

In non-belted school bus seats, the current form of safety protection for children on school buses is known as compartmentalization. This passive form of restraint relies on closely spaced, high-back padded seats. In a frontal collision, children impact the seat in front of them, which absorbs their energy. Compartmentalization was first required on new school buses in 1977.

With exclusive SmartFrame and SmartFrame Plus technology, SafeGuard bus seats provide the protection of lap-shoulder belts for belted passengers, while offering full compartmentalization protection for unbelted passengers in a frontal collision.

The SafeGuard SmartFrame is a seat back made with two structures. The inner structure provides lap-shoulder belts and absorbs crash energy for the belted passenger. The outer seat back structure remains upright to provide compartmentalization for anyone in the seat behind who is not wearing a seat belt.

The SmartFrame Plus seat back is a single structure that senses loads from the lap-shoulder belt and from the unbelted passenger behind and manages the crash energy between the two to provide both compartmentalization protection as well as lap-shoulder belt protection.

Both SmartFrame and SmartFrame Plus offer a maintenance advantage because of simple access and easy service of restraint systems and upholstery.

With SmartFrame and SmartFrame Plus technology, SafeGuard bus seats are proven to deliver full compartmentalization protection to unbelted passengers in frontal crashes. Other belted seats available on the market are designed with belts attached to a single frame structure, which creates one of two passenger protection challenges:

If the seat back is too weak, it will fold with the belted passenger in a frontal crash, minimizing compartmentalization protection for any unbelted passengers in the seat behind. If the seat back is too strong, it can create injuries for unbelted passengers seated behind.

SafeGuard seats are made by IMMI, home of CAPE Testing. This gives SafeGuard the advantage to develop their seats using dynamic crash testing. This real world type testing helps SafeGuard seats to cause lower injury values for belted and unbelted passengers, compared to seats with single frame designs.

SafeGuard school bus seats, standard with SmartFrame and SmartFrame Plus technology, offer full compartmentalization to unbelted occupants in a frontal collision. Of course, belted students will be better protected in any type of accident.

Shoulder belt height adjusters on SafeGuard school bus seats enable the lap-shoulder belt to properly fit occupants of a wide range of sizes, from a four year-old, 40-pound child over 40 inches tall, through a large adult.

Yes. The seat back thickness of SafeGuard school bus seats is virtually the same as standard school bus seats, so the number of rows available for seating is typically not reduced.

The SafeGuard FlexSeat, which transports three elementary school children or two high school kids on a standard 39-inch seat, essentially eliminates the capacity concerns related to the previous generation of seats equipped with lap-shoulder belts. The seat back 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.

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.”

As with any equipment damaged in an accident, the school district would confer with the insurance carrier to cover equipment replacement. All seats should always be inspected. Crash severity and use of the lap-shoulder belt will make a difference. All seat back foams should be inspected for impact by a passenger and be replaced if it occurs. If the SmartFrame opens during a frontal collision, it will need to be replaced. If the indicator on a SmartFrame Plus is revealed, that seat will also need replacement.

Results with hundreds of thousands of lap-shoulder belted seats in the field for more than fifteen years have shown the opposite to be true. SafeGuard has experienced very minimal returns and replacements: just 0.1 percent returns for replacement on commercial grade seat belt equipment and only 0.2 percent replacement of upholstery. Response from users indicates that student behavior is significantly improved and that the calmer environment is not conducive to students acting destructively.

SafeGuard school bus seats are designed to be serviceable in the field. Seat belts or outer covers on SafeGuard bus seats can be accessed quickly by removing the inner SmartFrame. They can be easily replaced in less than 15 minutes. For more information, contact customer service at 877-447-2305. Or View our Videos Page under resources to learn more.

Upgrading the SafeGuard SmartFrame Plus Seat is a simple process.

1. Open the seat back cover along its bottom side connector.

2. Remove the two bolts at the aisle side attaching the seat back to the seat base.

3. Remove the two bolts at the wall side attaching the seat back to the seat base.

4. Raise and remove the original seat back from the seat base.

5. Lower the upgraded seat back and install the four seat back attachment bolts.

6. Assemble the seat back bottom side cover joint connector.

The SafeGuard base seat design offers a standardized platform that easily exchanges to belted seating options in less than ten minutes without removing seats from the bus. With SafeGuard Seats, schools can add lap-shoulder belts or integrated child seats to any route at any time. The upgraded seat has been tested and certified to be compliant with applicable Federal and state safety standards

In comparison, retrofit requires the complete removal and replacement of seating. In some cases, additional structural reinforcements such as supplied brackets may be need.

STAR products can be purchased through any IMMI Authorized STAR distributor. For any other questions or concerns, call the toll free customer service number at 877-447-2305.

For best pricing options and volume discounts, please contact an Authorized STAR distributor, or call the toll-free customer service number at 877-447-2305 for more information.

The system was designed for installation on school bus seats that are belted or unbelted. However, you cannot use those bus seat belts to secure the child if you are securing the child with the STAR system belts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for school buses and child restraints. The STAR meets and exceeds FMVSS 213 requirements for safety restraints on school buses. The STAR also meets requirements for Title 45, Part 1303.70 for Head Start Transportation along with any other state requirements for child restraints on school buses.

The STAR meets all applicable requirements of Title 45, Part 1303 Subpart F, 1303.70 and as defined in Part 1305.2 requiring the use of child restraints on school buses for all Head Start children regardless of weight.

STAR products are designed only for use in school buses, daycare buses, or MFSABs and cannot be used safely in other types of vehicles.

Please contact an Authorized STAR distributor or call the toll-free customer service number at 877-447-2305 for shipping information.

The STAR is designed, manufactured and tested for children 25-65 pounds and 52 inches tall. The SuperSTAR is for children 25-90 pounds and 52 inches tall. The STAR Special Needs is for children 25-105 pounds and 52 inches tall. All three products support children with torso heights up to 20 inches tall.

Please review the installation video for the STAR and the SuperSTAR or refer to the installation instructions provided with the product.

STAR restraints fit all regular school bus seat manufacturers’ 24-inch low back and 28-inch high back seats. Lap belt ready (FMVSS 210) seats are not required for use with the STAR restraints (except in Indiana).

The STAR restraint system is considered to have a finite life and must be frequently inspected and replaced as needed. The service life of a STAR restraint is 6 years and the Super STAR has a service life of 7 years. Start of service life begins from date of invoice if the label on the STAR or SuperSTAR is filled out and sealed. If it is not filled out, then service life begins from date of manufacture. The date of manufacture can be found on the back of the lower portion of the cam wrap strap where it connects to the seat base. Discontinue use of the STAR after that service life has expired.

The chest strap is optional and is designed for children with special needs children who require additional upper body support to sit in the seat.

Clean the webbing, gray padding and flexible seat base with a damp cloth using a mild soap solution and lukewarm water. The gray padding can be easily removed and machine washed in cold water and tumbled dry on low heat. The SuperSTAR pad can be wiped off while installed in the school bus seat. Replacement pads are available through most authorized STAR distributors.

If a school bus is involved in a moderate or severe crash, the entire STAR restraint must be replaced regardless if the STAR was occupied for use at the time of the crash. Reference the NHTSA Position Paper “Re-Use of Child Restraint Systems in School Buses After Minor Crashes” for more information on this matter. This document can be found on the NHTSA.gov website.

Backpacks should never be worn by a child when riding in a STAR. The added weight could cause injury to the child in the event of a crash.

Best practice for securing a child in any child restraint system, regardless of the type of vehicle, is to remove the coat so that the child restraint webs have direct contact with the child’s unpadded indoor clothing. Heavy/Bulky coat material can be compressed by the child restraint webs in a crash. This could cause additional slack or clearance with the webbing that might result in the child being injured or possibly even ejected from their child restraint.

The child’s physical therapist should decide what is best for the individual patient.

The STAR Special Needs can fit two to a standard 39-inch bus seat.