School Bus Safety

Whereas motor vehicle seat belt laws have been fundamental to improved road safety in Canada over the past 40 years; And whereas safety organizations such as the National Safety Council are calling attention to vital flaws in the previous testing that argued against the safety benefits of sea tbelts in passenger buses; And whereas more recent research by Transport Canada reveals the clear and significant safety benefits of combined lap and shoulder seat belts for passengers in school buses; And whereas the US National Transportation Safety Board is now recommending three-point seat belts in all new school buses and 37 states are now either requiring three-point seat belts belts for school buses or have started down the legislative pathway towards this requirement; And whereas Transport Canada regulates passenger vehicle safety requirements, the Ministry of Education has the authority to set standards to protect the safety of public school students in British Columbia, and the Ministry of Public Safety and the Office of the Solicitor General are responsible for regulating road safety in British Columbia: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the BC Ministry of Education and the BC Ministry of Public Safety to mandate that all buses transporting students in British Columbia be equipped with three-point seat belts, and institute programs to assure those belts are used; And be it further resolved that UBCM call upon Transport Canada to require all road vehicles designed for the purpose of transporting students within Canada be equipped with three-point seat belts.