fety Devices, FMVSS No. 220 - School Bus Rollover Protection and FMVSS No. 222 - School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection. State laws and regulations govern buses on the highway. 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.A proposed law being debated by 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 passed legislation requiring the installation of lap belts on large school buses. 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 were 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 was January 1, 2001, while Louisiana is holding off until June 30, 2004. The timing of these regulations may be off for the fact that NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is actively conducting tests to determine if a three-point seat-belt system is a better safety mechanism as opposed to the two-point lap belt. A three-point system is much like that used in passenger cars. Tests may also show that simply padding the walls inside the buses may be required or that the current use of compartmentalization is still the best passive occupant restraint system. External safety features include the regulation that all school buses be painted National School Bus Yellow. Buses are often adorned with reflective tape as well. They are also required to have driver-activated stop arms.Social and Cultural Forces/ Human Resources and Labor RelationsCollins Bus Company presente...
