NTSB calls for stronger seat belt enforcement after Leander ISD bus crash

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a safety recommendation urging the state of Texas and the Leander Independent School District to tighten the use of seatbelts after a school bus crash on Nameless Road on Aug. 13 injured more than sixteen children and the driver. 

Investigators discovered that many children on that bus were not wearing seatbelts and were displaced when the bus rolled over. NTSB said the school bus was equipped with passenger lap and shoulder belts, and integrated five-point child-restraint harnesses, but few passengers were wearing them. 

The district’s website states that Leander ISD buses are equipped with 3-point seatbelts and they must be worn under state law. 

However, NTSB investigators said the district “did not take sufficient action to ensure passengers were properly belted.” The agency’s report urges Leander schools to implement policies to ensure that every student and driver on buses are equipped and properly restrained by the mandated seat belts. 

Leander ISD said it implemented changes to its safety practices.

In a statement sent to families on Tuesday, Leander ISD listed these changes to the district's seat belt use and school bus safety.

• Driver Accountability and Monitoring: Drivers are required to confirm that students are properly belted before departing campuses each afternoon and to remind students during morning route. Team Leads will now conduct random video reviews to verify compliance.
• Clear Expectations and Communication: Families have received districtwide reminders via SMART Tag emphasizing that all riders must wear seatbelts on buses equipped with them.
• Safety Signage: Decals reinforcing seat belt expectations will be added inside each bus as a reminder for students and drivers.
• Training and Oversight: Additional education and training on seat belt use will be given to transportation staff, campus administrators and families. Routine audits and safety inspections will ensure compliance with district policy and state law.
• Policy Review and Audit: Leander ISD said it is creating an enforceable district policy for seat belt use, including procedures for monitoring, reporting and accountability.

A dash camera video from inside the school bus showed 42 out of 46 student passengers visible in the video; only six were wearing seatbelts, and four of those passengers were wearing only the lap portion, NTSB said.

NTSB said Texas code requires passengers on equipped school buses to wear seat belts. The agency recommends that the state require implementation of enforceable policies and procedures for proper seat belt use on equipped school buses, including routine audits and mandatory driver instruction to ensure compliance.