Industry News
Seat Belts on School Buses
Manitoba's position with regard to seat belts on school buses mirrors that of Transport Canada and the United States’ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In the past number of years, these two organizations have conducted extensive testing with regard to seat belts on school buses. Each organization has concluded that “compartmentalization” is the safest concept for children riding school buses. Their conclusions were based on the following research and results…
School buses must accommodate physical sizes ranging from very young children to adults. In some cases, three children use one seat on one trip and two adults on another. Nor will children always use the same seat. This means that seat belts must be readjusted constantly, and their use monitored. Moreover, unused belts equipped with heavy buckles may pose other hazards. Seat belts are of benefit only if used, properly fitted, and correctly adjusted. Each of these factors poses supervisory problems beyond the scope of a busy driver with other responsibilities.
Faced with these difficulties, Transport Canada opted for standards requiring greater structural integrity, thus providing a stronger bus body, and for a form of passive protection by mandating stronger seats with higher backs and energy-absorbing padding.
This high padded seat back passive restraint system is know as “compartmentalization”. Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards require all school buses to be designed with the compartmentalization concept. During the 1980’s, Transport Canada conducted a school bus collision test to determine the effectiveness of lap belts in school buses. Crash test dummies were located in a school bus - some secured with lap belts, others with no restraints. The school bus was crashed into a concrete abutment at 30 kilometers per hour. The results showed that the belted dummies sustained extremely high levels of injury to the head and neck area due to pivoting at the waist during the crash which caused the heads of the belted dummies to contact the seat backs located directly in front of them. These forces to the head were measured and considered fatal. The unbelted dummies, however, contacted the seat backs in front of them with their knees, arms, chest, shoulders, and heads thus spreading the contact area and lessening the forces to one particular point of the body. The information obtained from the crash test prompted Transport Canada to conclude that lap belts should not be used in school buses.
Seat belt use on school buses is addressed on Transport Canada’s website at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp14646/menu.htm.
In the United States, NHTSA also conducted lap and shoulder belt testing in school buses. The report concluded that while lap and shoulder belts provide additional occupant restraint in school buses, installation of the belts would decrease school bus passenger capacity by one-third. Since school buses are eight times safer that any other vehicle, NHTSA is reluctant to reduce current school bus ridership and expose more students to alternative, and less safe, means of transportation.
With this in mind, NHTSA’s position is to look at enhancing the compartmentalization concept by increasing seat back height and installing additional padding.
Seat belt use on school buses is addressed on NHTSA’s website at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/buses/busseatbelt/
"Don't Pass Law" Violations
School bus drivers in Manitoba continue to experience "don't pass law" violations (motorists who pass school buses with the stop arm extended and the loading lights flashing). Effective June 2008 the maximum fine for such a violation in Manitoba was increased to $619 and demerits are charged against the registered owner of the vehicle. 
The positive response shown by Manitoba school divisions to display the new decal supports their awareness of this critical safety concern.
In addition to signage on the rear of the school bus and standard school bus equipment designed to alert the motoring public to school buses loading and unloading (i.e. side stop arms and amber and red flashing loading lights), some Manitoba school division are testing other equipment designed to assist school bus drivers as they combat “don’t pass law” violations:
- L.E.D. Stop Arm – a number of school divisions have tested an L.E.D. stop arm that flashes the word STOP. They report that the sign has contributed to fewer drive-by violations. The L.E.D. stop arm is an option for school divisions when purchasing new school bus vehicles.
- Second Stop Arm – a number of school divisions have installed a second stop arm on the left rear of the school bus.
- Driver Alert Sign – a number of school divisions have installed a driver alert sign on the rear of the school bus. These signs display the words CAUTION STOPPING when the amber pre-warning lights are activated, and when the red loading lights are activated the words STOP DO NOT PASS alert the motoring public that the bus has come to a complete stop.
Anchorages for Child Seat Restraints
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) 210.1 and 210.2 – Transport Canada amended CMVSS 210 to include a requirement for anchorages for child seat restraints (CRS) in school buses. This requirement became effective April 2007. The Standard was amended as follows:
- School buses up to 24 passenger capacity will require 2-CRS anchorage positions or 1-bench seat with 2-positions.
- School buses with 25 to 65 passenger capacity will require 4-CRS anchorage positions or 2-bench seats with 2-positions each.
- School buses with 66 passenger capacity or more will require 8-CRS anchorage positions or 4-bench seats with 2-positions each.
- The CRS school bus seats will need to be spaced at the maximum of 28 inches to accommodate most child car seats
- This Standard applies to new school bus vehicles only.
- All school busses will maintain the passive restraint system known as compartmentalization which requires high padded seat backs
Strobe Lights on Manitoba School Buses
In 2000, a number of school divisions participated in a pilot project whereby they could install up to six school buses in their fleets with center, roof-mounted strobe lights. It was widely believed that strobe lights would increase the conspicuity of a school bus, thus making it a safer vehicle with which to transport children. Strobe light effectiveness would be monitored by gathering feedback from both school bus drivers and the motoring public.
The pilot project concluded in June 2002 with the predominant opinion emerging that strobe lights did, in fact, enhance the conspicuity of school bus vehicles. As a result, school divisions were given the option of equipping as many of their school buses with strobe lights as they deemed necessary.
The January 2003 Education Funding Announcement included $300,000 to assist in defraying the cost of installing strobe lights on school bus vehicles. The assistance came in the form of a one-time $150 per strobe light grant. By April 2004, the Government of Manitoba had paid $253,950 to school divisions, private schools, and school bus contractors to equip 1,693 school buses with strobe lights.
Because strobe light use on school buses is currently not a requirement under The Highway Traffic Act, special lighting permits are required for any school bus so equipped. Permits are available through Vehicle Standards and Inspections – a division of Manitoba Public Insurance. They can be reached at 204-985-0920 or toll free at 1-866-323-0542.
Contact PTU for additional information on strobe lights.
Weather Radios
Another tool Manitoba has adopted to increase the safe transport of students is the acquisition of weather radios. Click on the following press release to read more.
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2008/09/2008-09-17-105600-4436.html
