chool bus funding problems, schools are not able to upgrade their fleet to newer, safer, more fuel-efficient buses. Funding also contributes to driver pay, which in turn influences the attitude of the driver, again, affecting overall safety.Government and Political InfluenceState governments as well as the federal government dually govern the school bus industry. The federal governments major role is in setting standards for the manufacturing of school buses. There are a total of 58 regulations governing motor vehicle safety, 35 apply to school buses while some were written specifically for school buses. Some of these include FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) No. 131 - School Bus Pedestrian Safety Devices, FMVSS No. 220 - School Bus Rollover Protection and FMVSS No. 222 - School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection. Once buses are actually on the highway sate laws and regulations take over (Government p. 1). Throughout the United States there are more than 500 laws, and even more regulations on states books governing the school bus industry. State laws and regulations tend to prevail if for no other reason than the fact that school transportation is state-funded.One law causing turmoil among state legislators is the need, or not, for seat-belt laws in large school buses (over 10,000 lbs Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). New York and New Jersey have already enacted legislation to require the installation of lap belts on large school buses (The Greatp. 1). However, New Jersey is the only state that requires their use. In 1997, 16 state legislatures were faced with seat-belt bills, none of which got passed into law. Florida and Louisiana have taken on a supporting role toward seat-belt legislation by requiring that all buses be equipped with seat belts in the near future. For Florida, the deadline is January 1, 2001; while Louisiana is holding off until June 30, 2004. The timing of these regulations may be off fo...
