lap/shoulder seatbelts to existing seats involves vari- ous considerations with federal seatbelt standards and requirements. IC Bus encourages its customers and op- erators to consult with their local IC Bus dealer to discuss retrofitting options.
Addressing Other Safety Needs Meanwhile, Maine lawmakers introduced legislation
that would require school buses in the state to have crossing arms mounted on the front of the vehicle and anti-pinch door sensors that detect objects caught in the loading doors. The bill aims to address two safety issues, which resulted in state fatalities within a little over a month span. A 12-year-old was killed in Rockland by their own school bus during drop off in November, and a 5-year-old in Standish was dragged and killed by a bus door in December. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the dragging incident. The bill would apply to all buses regardless of model
year, meaning older buses without these systems would need to be retrofitted or replaced. Additionally, school bus drivers who do not activate the crossing arm when
students load or unload could lose their school-bus en- dorsement for up to two years. Different from Texas, Maine state leaders proposed funding to support the upgrades, about $4.3 million. A school bus mechanic in Maine who requested to re- main anonymous shared their district hasn’t started the retrofitting process as it waits to see if there will be fund- ing. The mechanic said the district currently has 50 to 55 school buses in its fleet and all but seven have crossing arms. Those are more straightforward retrofits due to the fact they have already been on buses for many years. Retrofitting anti-pinch systems onto older buses, the mechanic said, will be harder and more expensive. “Not only do you have to fit a new door mechanism
but you have to run a new electrical system and repro- gram if not swap out modules to be able to properly operate the system,” he said. They added a preference that retrofitting be performed in-house to save on labor and overall costs to the district. “If the legislation passes, we are prepared to do what is
needed to meet it,” the mechanic noted. “I haven’t heard any specifics yet, but I know Blue Bird is taking this issue
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