In the aftermath of a tragic crash involving a dump truck and school bus in New Jersey in 2018, one company has taken action to improve safety for students. Blue Bird has announced that it will now offer three-point seatbelts as standard on all its school buses starting next year.
The decision to introduce these seatbelts was made in response to the crash that claimed the lives of a teacher and a student. Despite being the safest mode of transportation for students, most school buses do not come equipped with seatbelts. However, with over 25 million students riding the bus each day, this step towards ensuring their safety is crucial.
Blue Bird’s new buses will also feature driver airbags at no additional cost starting next year. After the tragic crash in Paramus, New Jersey, the local school district voluntarily added lap/shoulder seatbelts to their buses. This change was later mandated by a new law in New Jersey, requiring all buses to have three-point restraints. A recent crash test conducted at IMMI’s Center for Advanced Product Evaluation demonstrated the effectiveness of these seatbelts in protecting passengers.
According to the article, an average of 111 people are killed each year in school bus crashes, with the majority being motorists or pedestrians outside of the bus. Only six students, on average, lose their lives in these types of accidents. With the introduction of three-point seatbelts, Blue Bird hopes to reduce the number of fatalities and make school bus travel even safer for students.
