TESTIMONIES

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National Coalition for Seatbelts on School Buses

TESTIMONY by CAROL FAST, Nassau County Board of Supervisors
Public Hearing on Seatbelts on school buses and the elimination of Standees in Nassau County

December 20, 1984

 I am here today to testify in favor of seatbelts on school buses. As the founder and President of the National Coalition for Seatbelts on School Buses and the School Bus Resource for the New York State PTA,, I feel I can speak from experience - not speculation. We have had seatbelts in my neighboring district, Greenburgh Central 7 School District in Westchester County, for going on six years. I have worked closely with Greenburgh since the idea of seatbelts on their school buses was first conceived. We've had them in my own district, Ardsley, for over a year. There are seatbelts on buses in about 16 districts around the country this year that we know of and all have nothing but positive reports coming out of their experience. The students wear them and are carrying this habit over to their cars. The parents feel their children have added protection from injuries that could result from accidents, everyday swerves, short stops, going around sharp turns and, most of all, they will have protection from side impacts and roll-overs. This is where their present "compartmentalization" won't be effective.

I feel that you as a County can perform a great service to the students who ride school buses in Nassau. I feel that you should pass legislation requiring every Type I school bus manufactured for use in Nassau County after April 1, 1986, to have seatbelts installed at the time of manufacture, with the belts and their installation meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Standards #208, 209 and 210 (see two attachments), just as the Type II vehicles have been required to meet since 1977. Further, I suggest the bill should state that in any action against a school district, or any agent or employee of such district or operator, wherein the cause of action arises out of an accident involving operation of a school bus, no evidence shall be offered relative to whether seatbelts were being used by the passengers. I also feel it should require that the districts must pass a usage requirement for seatbelts provided in their district, no matter if it's Type I or Type II bus. The districts must see that the drivers exert a reasonable effort to get the children to use the belts. Administrators in each school will be notified if there is a problem with a bus load of students or with one particular student and the assigned administrator would then carry out the disciplinary action necessary. Districts should also be required to provide seatbelt education to all students in the district. This has been found to cost practically nothing since the Federal government provides so many materials now.

Following Suffolk's lead, I think it is reasonable to impose a $250.00 fine per day for any bus not meeting these seatbelt standards after the effective date.

As for the elimination of Standees, I have personally been calling for this for almost twelve years now. Federal Standard 17 recommends the elimination of all standees as does the National Transportation Safety Board, over and over again, in its Accident Investigation Reports. The UCLA, crash tests on school buses in 1967 show us, in the film "Broken Bus," very vividly what happens to a standee in three types of accidents. I highly recommend that you see this film if you have any doubt as to whether or not you should eliminate standees. The film also demonstrates how effective the combination of a lap belt and the 28" seatback work. We have 28" seatbacks in NY State.

I feel it is important for me to address a list of questions that was submitted to me this week from a district in Nassau. These are questions that have long been answered, but will be presented to you today, I am sure, from many sources. I would like to publicly answer each and every one of them and put them to rest at long last in Nassau County anyway.

1. HOW MANY SEAT BELTS PER SEAT?   Three.
2. WHAT TYPE OF BUCKLE TO USE? Small, lightweight plastic, push-button type.
3. HOW OFTEN SHOULD BELT BE REPLACED?  As often as you have been replacing them on your small buses since 1977. In Wash. D.C., where belts have been required for about 20 years, it has been said that the belts outlast the buses!
4. ARE SEAT BELTS DESIGNED TO PREVENT SMALL FINGERS FROM BEING CAUGHT? Yes. They are push-button types. I do not recommend the lever type. Under Standards #208, 209, 210 (see attached) the lever type will not even be allowed.
5. ARE SEAT BELTS DESIGNED FOR EASY REMOVAL AND CLEANING? Yes. They are bolted onto the rear seat frame, not the floor.
6. WHAT WILL BE THE POLICY FOR MANDATORY USE OF SEAT BELTS? Students must use them where they are provided, no matter what size the bus. Drivers are expected to put out a reasonable effort to get students to use them, i.e. remind every day. If a student refuses, he will be reported to administrators such as principal or assistant principal for disciplinary action, the same as any other infraction of the school bus safety rules.
7. WHAT IS THE AVAILABILITY OF INSURANCE? No district has had any change whatsoever in their district's insurance coverage. Belts are now being used in approximately 16 districts across the country that we are aware of.
8. WHAT WILL THE INSURANCE COST? .... No change in premium.
9. WILL ADULT MONITORS BE NECESSARY? .... No. Usage rates appear to be about the same with or without monitors, averaging 80-90%, with most success on the elementary level.
10. WHAT IS THE COST FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE SEAT BELTS? ... Anywhere from less than $500 per bus to $2500, depending on who the manufacturer is.. When seat belts become required by law, all manufacturers can be expected to be Bus will make a bus with belts meeting 208, 209, and 210 (see Most importantly, as of 7/84, Commissioner Ambach stated that seatbelts will be aidable at 90%.
11. WHO WILL SEE THAT THE PROPER ADJUSTMENT FOR SMALL CHILDREN IS DONE? Children are trained in the classroom and on the bus during the evacuation drill at the beginning of the school year. This training is ongoing throughout the year in the classroom. Older students can help the younger ones. Children are able to pull the belt snug, especially after they've been shown the correct way. After school, while the bus is loading up, the driver can assist a few children each day until he is sure they can do it themselves.
12. WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL RESULTS FROM VANDALISM? ... There has not been a problem with. vandalism anywhere that belts have been used. Greenburgh Central 7 School District has been using belts for 5 1/2 years now.
13. WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF HORSEPLAY USING SEAT BELTS AS WEAPONS? No reported incidents anywhere they’ve been used. Lunch box weaponry still seems to prevail over seat belt weaponry.
14. CAN SMALL CHILDREN GET OUT OF THE SEAT BELTS IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE OR ROLL-OVER?  Yes.  They remain conscious instead of injured, stunned or unconscious from an accident or roll-over and have a much greater chance of quick evacuation.  This has been proven by the National Transportation Safety board in their investigation of 3 roll0over accidents involving very young children, 4 - 6 years old, in vans - all seatbelted.  All children got out of the bus immediately.  All were uninjured, thanks to their seatbelts.  This fear is no different than the fears voiced in the 1950's and 60's against seatbelts in cars.
15. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ANCHOR THE SEAT BELTS?   Onto the back of the seat frame, either by bolting them through predrilled holes as on Wayne buses, or bolting them onto clamps that wrap around the back of the seat frame, such as in Carpenter buses.
16. HOW MANY ANCHORS SHOULD BE INSTALLED IN EACH SEAT? .... Depending on the type of anchors used, you need enough to install 3 belts.
17. SHOULD PRE-1977 BUSES BE RETROFITTED? .... No, unless seats are replaced and floors strengthened.
18. WHAT EVIDENCE EXISTS THAT A CHILD WOULD NOT BE "INJURED WHEN HIS UPPER BODY PIVOTS ABOUT THE BELT AND STRIKES THE SEAT AHEAD? .... The 1978 NHTSA study proved that the head injury criteria levels did not fall within the realm of danger. But what was-observed was potential danger to the throat and neck of the UNBELTED large dummy and the spine of the UNBELTED small dummy, so much so that the authors felt there was need for more study of the UNBELTED dummies. This is never reported by those who oppose seatbelts. This further study to the unbelted dummies has never been done. Besides, this study was only front end. In any other type of accident, especially side collision and roll-over, the compartmentalization can't hold up. The laws of physics will take over. The major medical organizations in the country have endorsed seatbelts on school buses for all children, including the AMA,, The American College of Preventive Medicine and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. They must feel that children will be better off with seatbelts on buses than without.
19. WHAT IS THE COST BENEFIT RATIO AS COMPARED TO USING THE MONEY FOR OTHER SAFETY RELATED PROJECTS? ... All safety issues in the area of school transportation are important. We must work for elimination of standees, better driving training and better education of children regarding the death zones, but seatbelts are also important for injury, reduction. They are a one-time expense as opposed to ongoing training of drivers for instance, and the educational carry-over to the car is where we can expect to reap our greatest rewards from seatbelts on buses-in the lives we will save on the highways in automobiles. Families are forced by these same children to wear seatbelts in their cars. We who have been using belts on school buses can attest to this carry-over. No one has come up with any other method of raising children's usage. This was brought up a year ago at the Society of Automotive Engineers Conference by noted engineers and transportation safety people from all over the world. Developing a life saving habit on a school bus is a way of increasing usage.
20. HOW CAN DRIVER BE ASSURED THAT ALL SEAT BELTS ARE SECURED PROPERLY? ... He is only expected to make a reasonable effort to remind the students to buckle up as they enter the bus. Before pulling away from school at the end of the day, driver can walk down the aisle and check quickly. It does not add any time. Even if a student unbuckles his belt after the driver checks, he still remains seated correctly in his seat because he doesn't want to get caught. This makes for much better discipline and certainly affords the student the optimum protection form the compartmentalization that is provided for him without a seatbelt.
21. WHICH BELTS SHOULD TWO PASSENGERS USE IN A SEAT FITTED WITH THREE SEAT BELTS?.. The two outside positions, just as they do in the back seat of a car.
22. IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE WOULD THE USE OF SEAT BELTS CAUSE PANIC AMONG SMALL CHILDREN? .... Fire occurs in less than 1/2 of 1% of all car and school bus accidents. It only takes an instant to push the release button and evacuate the bus. Fires occur. in cars a lot more than in buses simply because there are many more cars on the road, but we still mandate that children be restrained in very hard to get out of child safety seats and/or belts. There would be much more panic in a young child if they had a broken limb or were semi-conscious and a fire broke out.
23. IN THE EVENT OF A ROLL-OVER HOW SERIOUS ARE THE HAZARDS TO CHILDREN HANGING UPSIDE DOWN FROM THEIR BELTS? ... A great deal less serious than the hazards to a child who has gone through a roll-over without a belt. This question was answered above in #14.
24. HOW WOULD CARBON MONOXIDE BE AVOIDED FROM ENTERING THE BUS FROM THE HOLES DRILLED FOR INSTALLATION? ... Belts are not installed through the floor, so there are no holes.
25. HOW MUCH DISRUPTION AND DELAY WOULD RESULT WHEN A CHILD HAS TO CROSS OVER A BELTED CHILD TO ENTER OR EXIT A SEAT AND WHAT IS THE ACCIDENT POTENTIAL OF SUCH A DELAY? .... No delay occurs. The student in the aisle position, if large, simply unbuckles and stands as he would do on an airplane. Most students who are small simply move their legs to one side. This has not been a problem and districts using seatbelts have reported no extra time needed for their runs.
26. WOULD A FLOOR ANCHOR BE A TRIPPING HAZARD? ... Yes. We do not recommend floor installation, even though NHTSA has stated that the floor is strong enough on the post-77 buses to do this. Cleaning would also be very difficult.
27. ARE BUSES STRUCTURALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND SEAT BELTS LOADS? ... Yes, according to the announcement of the 1977 Federal Standards, Proposal 73-3, Notice 5, January 28, 1976 Federal Register. (see attached)
28. WILL SEAT BELTS CAUSE MORE INJURY SINCE THE CHILD WILL BE RESTRAINED AT THE HIPS AND ANY FORCE WILL CAUSE THE CHILD TO "JACK-KNIFE?"....... This question is simply another way of wording #18, which asked, WHAT EVIDENCE EXISTS THAT A CHILD WOULD NOT BE INJURED WHEN HIS UPPER BODY PIVOTS ABOUT THE BELT AND STRIKES THE SEAT AHEAD?" It has been answered above.
29. WOULD CHILDREN BECOME DAZED FROM STRIKING THE FORWARD SEAT AND BE UNABLE TO REMOVE THEIR SEAT BELTS? ... Another variation on #18. What must be remembered is that the unrestrained child in the same accident would be thrown full force into the seatback and THAT child might have the wind knocked out of him, might be dazed or even have a limb fracture and may have trouble exiting. These types of speculative fears have not proven true and my answer to #14 regarding quick evacuation in case of fire proves the point here also. The National Transportation Safety Board has found just the opposite case: Children in small vans who have gone through accidents have had absolutely no trouble removing their seatbelts and getting out of the bus quickly. Belts have been in Type 11 vehicles for eight years now, with the same seat spacing.
30. WOULD SEAT BELT LOAD REQUIRES REDUCE SEATING FROM THREE TO TWO PASSENGERS PER SEAT THUS REQUIRING ADDITIONAL BUSES? ... No. See Federal Register referred to above in #27.
31. WOULD THE DISTRICT BE LIABLE WHEN:
    a) THE CHILD IS NOT WEARING A BELT AND IS INJURED?
    b) THE CHILD IS INJURED WEARING A VANDALIZED BELT?
    c) THE CHILD IS INJURED WEARING A BELT INCORRECTLY?
    d) THE CHILD IS NOT WEARING A BELT BECAUSE IT IS BROKEN?
    e) THE CHILD IS INJURED TRIPPING ON/BEING HIT BY BELT?.......
    a through e: Children in vans have been required to use belts by some districts around the country since 1977. Belts have been on Wash. D.C. buses for probably 20 years now (handicapped are transported) and their use has been mandated since 1975. Chicago has required belts on their school buses since 1975 and even though they have the worst possible set up - one belt per seat - the belts are not used as weapons and they have not been sued for any of the above reasons. Either has Wash. D.C.. But we are aware of two suits in this country today that have arisen out of the nonexistence of belts in school buses. In one case a child was killed and in the other the child was paralyzed. THESE ARE THE TYPES OF SUITS THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAD BETTER START WORRYING ABOUT FOR THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. As for belts being a tripping hazard, this is avoided by installing the short ends on the aisle position. They don't reach the floor. Wayne Bus will automatically do this now. The weaponry issue was answered above. It is almost impossible to inflict injury with a small lightweight buckle. Why hasn't this been a concern with the vans? I can't help but ponder the use of the weaponry issue as nothing more than a scare tactic and a stalling device.

Thank you for inviting me to speak today. I applaud your efforts to gather information regarding such an important issue as seatbelts on-school buses.

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