NTSB Issues Urgent Recommendations in Response to Texas School Bus Crash

Safety agency urges immediate action to ensure proper seat belt use on school buses

WASHINGTON (Oct. 28, 2025) - The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday issued urgent safety recommendations to the state of Texas, national school bus transportation associations and the Leander, Texas, Independent School District urging them to ensure the proper use of passenger lap and shoulder belts on school buses equipped with restraints.

The recommendations were issued as part of the ongoing investigation into an Aug.13 school bus crash in Leander. The school bus was equipped with passenger lap and shoulder belts and integrated five-point child-restraint harnesses, but few passengers were wearing them, investigators found. Video evidence showed that, of the 42 student passengers visible in the video (out of 46 onboard), only six were belted and four of those passengers were wearing only the lap portion of the lap and shoulder belt.

NTSB investigators concluded that the Leander school district did not take sufficient action to ensure passengers were properly belted. The NTSB urgently recommended that Leander schools implement enforceable policies and procedures ensuring every student and driver on school buses equipped with passenger seat belts is properly restrained by lap and shoulder belts or five-point harnesses on every trip.

Unlike other states, Texas code requires passengers on equipped school buses to wear seat belts. In today's urgent report, the NTSB recommended to the state of Texas that it require implementation of enforceable policies and procedures for proper seat belt use on equipped school buses, including routine audits and mandatory driver instruction, to ensure compliance.

The NTSB recommended that the National Association for Pupil Transportation, the National School Transportation Association and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services alert their members across the nation to the crash circumstances - including the lack of seat belt use by most passengers - and to promote enforceable seat belt policies designed to save lives and reduce injuries.

The NTSB issues urgent recommendations to address immediate, critical issues that threaten lives or property. The NTSB does not need to wait until the end of investigations to issue recommendations. Recipients have 30 days to respond.

Read the full recommendation report at NTSB.gov.