Are car seats required for preschoolers in school buses?
Connecticut’s child restraint law specifically exempts school buses and all other buses from the requirement to secure children under the age of four, weighing less than forty pounds, in a child restraint seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recently developed guidelines for the safe transportation of preschoolers on school buses. The guidelines, which are not law but represent best practices, recommend that all preschoolers be transported in federally approved child restraint systems, either safety seats or booster seats. The child should be properly secured in the restraint, and the restraint should be properly secured in the vehicle. To determine that a child restraint system is federally approved, look for a label which says “Meets FMVSS.” Note that the exemption in state law applies only to buses. School transportation vehicles (STVs) such as vans, cars, and station wagons, are subject to the child restraint law. Any child who is six years of age and under,
