Every morning, children across the country board big yellow school buses, a familiar and trusted mode of student transportation. But other vehicles like cars, trucks, SUVs and more (except for motorcycles), have seat belts, a very important safety feature missing from school buses. So why don't school buses have seat belts and are they safe for kids? Advertisement School buses generally don't have seat belts because they're designed with safety in mind. Using a concept called "compartmentalization," bus seats are set close together and have high backs made with padding that absorbs energy to protect kids if a crash occurs. School buses are also heavier, which affects the way crash forces impact the vehicle. As a result, kids are much safer on buses than in cars. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Safety Council both believe seat belts on buses are indeed safe for kids, schools across the country have yet to install those belts. In fact, only Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Texas have laws pertaining to seat belts on school buses. But for some of those states, the addition of seat belts is subject to jurisdictional approval. Advertisement