New Bus Contract Could Include Seatbelt Requirement

With days until the School Committee is scheduled to vote on a new school bus transportation contract, a local group is pushing for a new kind of seatbelts on buses.

 The Issue

-Currently, Waltham school buses lack seatbelts, according to School Committee Vice Chairman Harold Walker.

-As a result, a local group called Waltham4Seatbelts has asked the committee to approve a contract that includes shoulder lap seatbelts, according to the group‘s chairman Rachel Learned. Specifically, the are asking for a certain type called SafeGuard Flex seat, which includes a retractable lap-shoulder belt and an improved seat back.

-Learned and other members believe the belts would help prevent injuries to students and anybody riding the bus.

-The Committee is currently seeking bids for a new school bus contract, but had not yet received any as of Thursday, Feb. 3, according to Walker. The Committee will “mostly likely” vote on a new contract at its Wednesday, Feb. 16 meeting, Walker said.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Having Lap Belts

-Safety: Waltham4Seatbelts member and parent Jeffrey Tanzman believes having the belts is a no-brainer. “It’s safety. Safety first,” he said.

-Despite the benefits of the improved belts, Walker said the school district can only encourage students to wear them. Whether they wear them is up to the students, he said. Tanzman said students should have that choice.

-Cost: $10 per student per year, according to the group’s literature, which equates to $39,790 annually to outfit each bus. Learned said the group was willing to pay a fee for the cost.

-Support: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts encourages districts to equip its buses with seat belts in general, something the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations also endorses. Last year, Waltham4 Seatbelts submitted a petition, with 811 signatures, urging the school committee to purchase the seatbelts. 

Legalities: The School Committee plans to send waivers to parents, which would exempt the district from lawsuits brought over seatbelt issue, if students chose not to wear them.