to install seat belts on three 2015 model-year IC Bus units, which according to Lewis, make retrofitting an easy process because of newer seating technology. “It’s fairly easy to retrofit the buses that are
made by IC Bus. Basically the seat backs just change out and so those are the ones that we’re focusing on initially,” he said of the new BTI system, adding that the district plans to retrofit additional buses as more funds become avail- able and that new bus purchases would come equipped with lap-shoulder restraints. Te district expects to begin installations this month. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Depart- ment of Public Instruction (NCDPI) recently announced a seat belt implementation proj- ect, where it will provide replacement buses equipped with three-point, lap-shoulder belts to nearly a dozen participating districts. Guidelines for participants include guarantees that students will be required to wear the seat belts and that the districts will provide two training sessions per year for students on proper seat belt use.
Designated staff must also ensure usage before the start of any route. Burke County Public Schools, one of the
participants, will receive a total of seven replace- ment buses this summer, according to district spokeswoman Cheryl Shuffler. “We jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this new initiative because this is a big deal. In keeping student safety at the forefront of all that we do, we want to be on the front end of this new movement as it progresses across the state,” said Superintendent Larry Putnam. Shuffler mentioned that one way the district plans on ensuring that the seat belts are used is through the usage of video and thorough driver training, along with the designated staff members required by the program to monitor student usage. “Te required use policy is a key element in
this project that we believe to be a real opportu- nity to improve student discipline and thereby help out our school bus drivers. Te testimony at NHTSA’s hearings (last) summer was quite compelling,” said NCDPI Transportation
“Seat belts are icons of safety. And that makes them the single most effective thing we can provide to improve the confidence of parents, policymakers and children.”
-Mark Rosekind, NHTSA
www.stnonline.com 45
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