Child Passenger Safety (Pupil Transportation)
New Child Passenger Safety Law, Effective January 1, 2019 (LB 42, 2018 Legislative Session)
- All children up to age eight must ride correctly secured in a federally-approved child safety seat.
- Children ride rear-facing until up to age two or until they reach the upper weight or height limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer.
- Children up to age eight must ride in the back seat, as long as there is a back seat equipped with a seatbelt and is not already occupied by other children under eight years of age.
Media materials available for download developed to educate about the changes to the car seat law starting January 1, 2019
What’s the effect of this law on pupil transportation vehicles?
Pupil transportation vehicle fitted with seat belts must also be equipped with the appropriate child restraint systems when transporting children up to age eight. School buses (except Type A buses) are not required to be equipped with seat belts. However, if a bus is fitted with seat belts, appropriate child restraint systems must be provided for children up to age eight.
Currently, per NDE Rule 91, when occupant protection systems/lap belts are provided in the pupil transportation vehicle, passengers shall wear the occupant protection system. Children up to the age of eight (8) years of age shall use Federally-approved child passenger restraint systems as required by Section 60-6,267 R.R.S.
Resource for Choosing & Using Child Safety Restraint Systems
Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s web site to get detailed information about transporting children in buses. For additional information on child restraint systems and which would work best in school vans or school buses, contact the following retailers of child restraint systems:
- Prevention Alternatives
- (517) 927-7731
- Easy Way Safety Services
- E-Z-ON Products, Inc.
- (800) 323-6598 or www.ezonpro.com
- SafeGuard by IMMI
- (877) 447-2305 or www.safeguardseat.com
To help ensure proper installation of car seats, always refer to the vehicles owner’s manual for instructions about proper use of child restraint systems in your vehicles.
Seating in Small Vehicles
Children under the age of 8 cannot be seated in the front seat of a small vehicle per Section 60-6,267. Best practice recommendations are to not seat children under age 13 in the front seat. However, if the situation occurs that a child between ages 9-13 needs to ride in the front seat, please follow these steps:
- Seat the tallest/biggest child in the front seat.
- Make sure the seat belt fits properly – lap belt low on lap, not on stomach; shoulder belt is centered on shoulder.
- Slide the seat as far back as possible.
Keep in mind that in the event of an air bag discharge, the most intense contact would be with head and face of a shorter person.
For more details, contact:
- Kaitlyn Richardson, Nebraska Safety Center Lead Trainer
- richardsonke@unk.edu
- (402) 480-6859
- Jason Kerkman, Nebraska SAFE KIDS Coordinator
- Nebraska Health and Human Services System
- jason.kerkman@nebraska.gov
- (402) 471-8749
Program Contacts
- Stephanie DeGroot: (402) 540-0649 or stephanie.degroot@nebraska.gov
- Bryce Wilson: (402) 471-4320 or bryce.wilson@nebraska.gov