Buses without Seatbelts Defective

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Morgan Adams

I have previously blogged on the need for seatbelts on buses HERE. When a bus rolls over passengers are often slung out of the bus, resulting in paralysis and death. A simple lap belt. similar to what we use on an airplane, would prevent this.

Recently the highest court in New York looked at whether federal law preempted claims against a bus manufacturer for failing to include passenger seatbelts. The court, in a huge step towards safety, concluded the claim was not preempted by federal law. The case may be found HERE.

Compare the New York decision to an earlier decision in Tennessee HERE.

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DOT FINALLY COMES AROUND AND CONSIDERS SEAT BELTS ON BUSES

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Morgan Adams

This is an issue I feel strongly about. BUSES NEED SEAT BELTS. I have blogged on this before on several different occasions. (Here, here, and here for example).

Monday, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced new buses would be required to have lap-shoulder belts. The article I saw did not reference when the rule would take effect (generally three years from the final published rule), and whether buses would be required to be retrofitted. It did state that most bus fatalities occurred when passengers were thrown from a bus in a rollover, and that seat belts would cut that risk by 77%.

Given that the study showed that 65% of all bus passengers are children and the elderly, isn't it past time we had seat belts on buses? 

The full NHTSA proposed rule can be found here.

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BUS CRASH SHOWS NEED FOR SEAT BELTS AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Morgan Adams

While I have been advocating for seat belts on buses for some time, see my prior blogs, others are happily now joining the fray. Recently Sholnn Freeman , of the Washington Post, wrote an excellent article on the need for seat belts and the increasing dangers of bus travel. Ms. Freeman's article, As Bus Travel Grows, Probe of Fatal Crash Revives Push for New Safety Rules, can be found at: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/20/AR2009042003716.html 

Much like tractor trailers, buses would be made much safer with seat belts, standards for roof crush, and anti rollover devices such as electronic stability control.

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