safety; bus crashes; seat belts; safety standards

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) establishes safety standards for school buses but does not have enforcement authority. It was only in 2015 that the NHTSA deemed three-point seat belts necessary on large school buses (those weighing 10,000 pounds or more). As of September 2022, eight states require seat belts, but most of them include a conspicuous loophole: If retrofitting costs cannot be accommodated by school budgets, no requirement. Retrofitting would cost approximately $10,000 (possibly more) per school bus....Read More