Bus Safety

School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road; they’re designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in preventing crashes and injuries; and in every state, stop-arm laws protect children from other motorists.

Different by Design

School buses are designed so that they’re highly visible and include safety features such as flashing red lights, cross-view mirrors and stop-sign arms. They also include protective seating, high crush standards and rollover protection features.

Seat belts play an important role in keeping vehicle passengers safe, but since school buses are different by design, they have a different kind of safety restraint system. 

• Large school buses are heavier and distribute crash forces differently than passenger cars and light trucks. These differences help bus passengers experience much less crash force than those in passenger cars, light trucks and vans.
• NHTSA decided the best way to provide crash protection to passengers of large school buses is through a concept called “compartmentalization.” This requires that the interior of large buses protect children without them needing to buckle up. Through compartmentalization, children are protected from crashes by strong, closely -spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs.
• Small school buses (with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less) must be equipped with lap or lap/shoulder belts at all designated seating positions. Since the sizes and weights of small school buses are closer to those of passenger cars and trucks, seat belts in those vehicles are necessary to provide occupant protection.