EEAED Seat Belts

SEAT BELTS

The School Committee will have seat belts installed on Town-owned school buses and those buses in regular service by the Town’s school bus contractor as a convenience for those students who choose to use seat belts. The contractor’s reserve buses, which are available to the Town for emergency use, may not be equipped with seat belts. A student’s use of seat belts is neither guaranteed nor compulsory. Though seat belt use is entirely voluntary, parents will be notified of the availability of seat belts on certain buses, and students will be instructed in their proper use at the beginning of the school year.

GUIDELINES FOR INSTRUCTION IN SEAT BELT USE

The decision to use seat belts will be made solely by students and their parents. To enable students to carry out a decision to use seat belts, the school shall instruct students as to their use. This instruction shall consist of three parts:

1. Instruction in the proper use of school bus seat belts will be added to current classroom instruction in safe riding practices.

2. Students riding school buses will be instructed in the use of the seat belt at the commencement of the school year.

3. The twice yearly on-bus emergency evacuation drills will include instruction in and testing of students’ ability to unfasten their seat belts in an emergency situation.