Seat belts and their usage on yellow school buses is an area of transportation that has generated a great deal of interest.
Many parents and educators are requesting information about seat belt usage on yellow school buses.
Section 383 of the Vehicle & Traffic Law -
requires seat belts for school buses transporting general education students only on vehicles manufactured after July 1, 1987. At the time the law was enacted there was no provision requiring that buses be retrofitted with seatbelts nor is there a law requiring that seat belts, where provided on large general education buses, be used. The only students mandated by the NYC Administrative Codes Sections 19-601, 19-602 and 19-603 to wear seat belts are special education students.
The Office of Pupil Transportation - will work toward providing schools with buses equipped with seat belts if requested and if procedures are enacted by the school that will ensure their proper use.
In order to ensure that seat belts, once provided, are properly used, it is necessary for a seat belt safety plan to be developed which includes: the name of the staff member who will be responsible for ensuring that students are belted in, specification of the training that will be given to students, and a description of the disciplinary action that will be taken should students refuse to wear their safety belts.
It is recommended that parents of the students receiving service be consulted in the development of that plan.
For more information on seat belts: Click Here to view section 383 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York.
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