School Bus Safety
Location: National
Issue/source: School Bus Safety / TRAN
Date: March 2024
Suggested responses
- School bus safety is a priority for Transport Canada (TC) which is why in July 2022, Transport Canada (TC) published a regulatory proposal in the Canada Gazette, Part I focused on enhancing key safety features for school buses.
- The regulatory proposal follows the February 2020 Report of the Task Force on School Bus Safety, released by the Council of Ministers responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety.
- Transport Canada has also collaborated with British Columbia and Ontario to carry-out pilot projects to examine the use of seatbelts on school buses to inform future decisions.
If Pressed
- The seatbelt pilot projects ended in 2023 and analysis of the results will be finalized in the coming months.
Background information
- In July 2018, Transport Canada (TC) published regulations for the optional installation of three-point seatbelts on school buses. At present, the decision rests with owners/operators and school boards, together with provincial and territorial (PT) partners, to determine whether to install them, recognizing that – while research confirms they can provide an extra layer of safety in certain rare but severe school bus collision scenarios (e.g. rollover) –there are important financial and operational matters that must be considered (e.g., belt misuse/adjustment, emergency evacuations, liability).
- On February 14, 2020, the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety approved the release final report of the Task Force School Bus Safety, Strengthening School Bus Safety in Canada, recommending the pursuit of key safety technologies aimed at protecting children outside the bus, where the greatest risks exist. The Council of Ministers also agreed to launch pilot projects to assess the viability of seatbelts on school buses in Canada.
- On July 2, 2022, Transport Canada (TC) published proposed regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I that would apply only to newly manufactured/imported buses and would:
- require the mandatory installation of extended stop arms and exterior perimeter visibility systems on new and imported school buses,
- set minimum requirements for the voluntary installation of infraction/stop arm cameras, , and
- mandate a label indicating the school bus may be equipped with infraction/stop arm cameras.
- In parallel, in collaboration with the Government of British Columbia and the City of Sudbury, Ontario, Transport Canada (TC) launched school bus seatbelt pilot projects to assess the operational considerations associated with the use of three-point seatbelts on 6 school buses. Results from the pilots are currently being compiled and will be finalized in spring 2024. These findings will serve to inform future discussions by the Council of Ministers with respect to the viability of school bus seatbelts in Canada.