The federal government has mandated seat belts on passenger cars since the 1960s, but commercial buses have largely escaped without any government regulations. However, that looks to be changing as a new motion to require seat belts on commercial buses is gaining momentum on Capitol Hill.
According to The Detroit News, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is preparing new legislation that would require seat belts on commercial motor coaches. The National Transportation Safety Board has been pushing for such legislation for years, but only has the power to recommend safety changes, not make them. That’s where the NHTSA comes in.
“I think it is true that NHTSA was slow to act,” Ron Medford, the acting top official at NHTSA, told The Detroit News. Medford added: “We are on it.â€
Some believe the NHTSA is at least a decade late on such legislation: Since 1998 there have been 33 commercial bus accidents involving the ejection of 255 passengers.
In addition to the new seat belt regulations, the NHTSA is also considering several other bus safety regulations, including roof strength requirements and updated emergency exit regulations. The NHTSA recently increased roof strength requirements for passenger cars but there aren’t currently any on the books for commercial buses.
Although the new regulation would require seat belts on commercial buses, the NHTSA doesn’t have the authority to force passengers to wear them. The new law would not apply to school buses.
