The Seat Belts on School Transport (Scotland) Act 2017 (asp 7) is an act of the Scottish Parliament relating to mandating that school buses have seat belts.
History.
In 2011, the Scottish government first considered the costs and implications of new school bus safety legislation.
Natasha Paton, aged 17 years old, died after a coach, containing 39 pupils and 5 staff from Lanark Grammar School, was caught in a snowstorm on 31 March 2010, and this would have been prevented had she been wearing a seat belt, according to an fatal accident inquiry.
In March 2014, the transport minister, Keith Brown, announced planst to mandate that dedicated school buses must have seat belts.
Provisions.
The act requires that dedicated school buses have seat belts, but it does not require students to wear them.
Reception.
The legislation was supported by Jack Kushner, of the road safety charity Brake.
Further developments.
A private member's bill to implement a similar policy was debated in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2019.