School transportation association supports seat belts in buses

Most New Jersey residents will agree that seat belt usage makes sense. Indeed, it is one of the most important things that automobile drivers and passengers can do to avoid injury in the event of a collision. Nevertheless, the majority of school buses throughout the nation are still unequipped with seat belts. However, as the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services points out in a 2014 position paper on seat belt use in school buses, it makes sense to use seat belts in school buses, and school district should consider their use.

The NASDPTS is an association that represents the leaders of school transportation systems in all 50 states. The goal of NASDPTS is to make sure that school transportation is safe, efficient, secure, economical and high quality for children throughout the nation. The association fully supports the use of seat belts in school buses.

The NASDPTS does not advocate that seat belts be a requirement, but it supports their use after a school district examines its available resources and determines that it can afford them. The group further advocates that, when new buses are ordered, seat belts be included as a part of the new equipment specifications. The group also encourages school jurisdictions to make proper seat belt use a requirement for students whenever seat belts are available in buses.

The NASDPTS has offered various supporting points for its position on seat belts. One of those points relates to the fact that children will be more likely to avoid injury if they are restrained by a seat belt during a car or truck crash. This, in turn, will facilitate the swift evacuation of buses that have been in crashes, because injuries to students will be less severe. The group has also referenced findings that children today have largely been taught to use seat belts in any moving vehicle, and because they have become accustomed to seat belt usage, child compliance with seat belt requirements will be easy to achieve.

Source: ?National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, “The Equipping and Use of Passenger Lap/Shoulder Belts in School Buses,” accessed Aug. 07, 2015