Safety Equipment Required on School Buses

Modern school buses (those manufactured after April 1, 1977) are equipped with more safety equipment than any other vehicle on the road. This is by design because safety regulators and state pupil transportation officials always err on the side of providing an extra margin of safety. The size of the school bus alone gives it an important advantage in all but the most catastrophic circumstances. Key federal safety requirements include:

• Special passenger crash protection: Well-padded, high-back, energy-absorbing seats, as well as special requirements for wheelchair restraint systems. These seating systems provide “automatic protection” for young passengers. Additionally, school bus interiors are designed to reduce the chances of injury caused by sharp edges or body panels that may tear loose in a crash.
• Better brakes: Brake systems that enable the school bus to stop in a shorter distance than other large vehicles.
• Warning lights: Lights and reflective devices that indicate when the bus is loading and unloading passengers.
• Special mirrors: Additional mirrors that allow the driver to see all critical areas directly in front of and along both sides of the school bus.
• Swing out stop arms: A stop arm that extends out to the left side of the bus to warn motorists when the bus is loading or unloading passengers.
• Emergency exits: Several emergency exits, based on the capacity of the school bus.
• Rollover protection: Rollover protection that reduces the likelihood of a roof collapse and allows for operable emergency exits even after the roof is subject to extreme forces.
• Fuel system protection: Protected fuel tanks, and fuel pump, fuel delivery system, emissions control lines and connections to protect against fuel spills in severe crashes.