• Developed by the Task Force on School Bus Safety. Presented to the Council of Ministers of Transportation and Highway Safety February 14, 2020. Transport Canada.

School buses are the safest way to transport children to and from school, more so than any other means
of transportation. That is because school buses are built – inside and out – to protect children. They are
painted a distinctive shade of yellow, and are equipped with flashing red lights and a stop arm designed
to help children get on and off the bus safely. Governed by some 40 federal regulations1 and a robust
set of standards, school buses also have a series of structural safety features built in that are specifically
designed to safeguard children in the event of a collision. For example, they are mandated to have
reinforced joints, high roof crush standards, electronic stability control to help prevent rollovers,
window retention to mitigate ejection, emergency exit requirements, and a highly effective seat design
referred to as compartmentalization.

Even with this excellent safety record, there is room for improvement. As school bus safety is a shared
responsibility among federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments, school bus operators, and a
diverse road safety community, on January 21, 2019, the FPT Council of Ministers Responsible for
Transportation and Highway Safety (Council of Ministers) established an expert Task Force on School
Bus Safety, comprised of FPT governments and the full range of school bus safety stakeholders, to
identify opportunities to further strengthen school bus safety, with an emphasis on seatbelts.
In June 2019, the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities published a report
on bus passenger safety, noting that while buses – particularly school buses – are among the safest
modes of transportation available, there are opportunities for improved safety. In parallel, early findings
from the Task Force identified a range of opportunities to further strengthen school bus safety, including
driver assistance, safety features outside the bus, and occupant protection measures.