Three-Point Seatbelts Now Required After Deadly School Bus Accident Earlier This Year

You may remember earlier this May when a deadly school bus accident occurred on Interstate 80 in Mount Olive Township. The accident claimed the lives of a teacher and a student as well as injured dozens of passengers on board.

This accident was a disaster scene. The mangled bus was lying on its side with the undercarriage and front end completely torn off leaving the steering wheel exposed. It was suspected that some on board might have even been ejected into the nearby wooded area aligning the interstate. It was that bad.

Because of this incident, action had to be taken in the form of a new law geared towards school bus safety. This past Saturday, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill requiring all New Jersey school buses to have lap and shoulder seat belts.

After signing the bill, Murphy stated: “Every child and every educator and adult chaperone deserves our best effort to protect their safety and the best possible chance of emerging unharmed in the unfortunate event of a school bus accident.”

The new law went into effect immediately and requires all school buses manufactured 180 days from now to have three-point harnesses for each seat.

Why Are Three-Point Seatbelts Safer?

Since seatbelts have been introduced, their goal was to increase safety and reduce the number of injuries a person may receive in an accident. When school bus accidents occur without the presence of a seatbelt, those on board may suffer injuries by making instantaneous contact with the seat in front of them, windows, the floor or roof, or other passengers on board.

With the new law requiring school buses to use three-point seatbelts, what should be expected, especially from a safety perspective?

Three-point seatbelts provide the best protection in the event of a school bus accident. These seatbelts go over the waist and the shoulder of the passenger on board, providing better protection overall. Because of the seatbelt’s pretensioner technology, slack is significantly reduced which keeps passengers from rapidly moving forward and striking another object.

Not only will three-point seatbelts save lives in case of an accident, but they will also offer other benefits too. These benefits include reinforcing the safety habit of always buckling up in any type of vehicle; reducing the number of fatal or unintelligent actions like putting your arms or head out of the window; and limiting distractions to the driver which will limit accidents.

Injured? Time to Pursue a Claim

If you or your child was injured in a school bus accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. It doesn’t matter if you were the passenger, driver, pedestrian, or driver of another vehicle. Any person involved in a bus accident can be eligible to recover the following:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Property loss
• Related damages

File your injury claim as soon as possible so you don’t miss any deadline to file in case your claim is against any public agency like the New Jersey Transit.

Contact Our Law Offices Today

If you were a victim of a school bus accident in New Jersey, don’t hesitate. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today so we can help you recover the compensation you deserve in order for you and your loved ones to move forward.

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