School Bus Crashworthiness

School bus crashes are less common than we often perceive but are invariably tragic. It is estimated that only seven passengers die in school bus crashes yearly. http://ntsb.gov/Surface/highway/childseat.htm

The primary concern most members of the public express about school buses is the absence of seatbelts. Evidently this is not so problematic as the seating on school buses is designed quite cleverly. The seats are close together, high-backed, strong, and designed for energy absorption. This compartmentalization works effectively in front and rear-end collsions.

A complication in increasing school bus safety is that the compartmentalization evidently makes the use of seatbelts more dangerous than in other vehicles.  The present emphasis is on configuring a new passenger safety restraint system.