November 10, 2015, Westfield, Indiana – On Sunday, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind announced at the annual NAPT Conference that NHTSA is recommending lap-‐shoulder belts on school buses. “School buses should have seat belts. Period,” Mr. Rosekind stated to an audience of transportation directors from around the country. “Every child on a school bus without a seat belt means more risk of serious injury to precious cargo.”
The announcement shifts the debate from whether or not seat belts should be on school buses to when and how they should be installed to better protect the children who ride them.
For years, many school districts used NHTSA’s lack of a direct endorsement as the reason not to pursue seat belts. That excuse ended Sunday when Mr. Rosekind made it clear where NHTSA stands on the issue. “Our goal: A 3-‐point seat belt for every child on every bus.”
IMMI’s SafeGuard, the leading provider of lap-‐shoulder belts for school buses, is best poised to handle the increased demand following NHTSA’s recommendation. Trusted by more school districts than any other brand, SafeGuard was the first to introduce lap-‐shoulder belts to school buses more than a decade ago and has been leading the way in developing new seats and restraints to meet districts’ transportation needs. SafeGuard seats are also the only seats with SmartFrame® technology that enhances compartmentalization protection for both belted and un-‐belted students.
“We’re thrilled by today’s announcement,” said Tom Anthony, president of IMMI. “NHTSA’s recommendation will pave the way for more students to have the additional protection seat belts on school buses will provide. A lot of districts will also enjoy the added benefit of better behavior and less bullying that we often see with the implementation of seat belts on school buses. Today is a victory for children and for the parents and advocates who’ve fought for so long to make seat belts on school buses a reality.”
About IMMI
IMMI®, based in Westfield, Ind., is the leader in the design, testing and manufacturing of advanced safety systems. IMMI produces hundreds of innovative products for various industries, including the school bus, commercial vehicle, fire/ambulance, child seating, military, off-‐road, UTV, outdoor, and motorcoach industries. IMMI is also home to CAPE®, the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation, an award-‐winning crash test facility. Privately owned and operating facilities in North America, Asia and Europe, IMMI is dedicated to Bringing Safety to People® around the world.