New rule mandates seatbelts on school buses

The wheels on the bus go round and round, but their passengers will soon be much more stationary.

The Iowa State Board of Education has adopted a new state administrative rule that will require all new school buses manufactured after October 2 to be fitted with shoulder-to-lap seatbelts.

“While school buses are built to keep students safe, lap-shoulder seatbelts provide greater protection against injuries in the rare event of an accident,” said Brooke Axiotis, president of the State Board of Education in a release. “Through this approach, we are doing more to protect Iowa students while allowing schools to phase in seatbelts in a way that makes sense for them financially.”

Tim Dugger, Postville Superintendent of Schools, said, “The new safety laws are good for Iowa students. The changes will, however, cost the district more money due to added safety features.”

Dugger explained that since Postville has recently purchased a new bus; therefore, the district won’t see the new safety belts for a while.

Read the full article in the August 14 edition of the Postville Herald.