KITCHENER -- Seat belts will slowly be rolled out on school buses in Waterloo Region starting this fall.
Up to a dozen school buses will have seat belts next school year.
These buses are managed by Student Transportation Service of Waterloo Region, which operates buses for both the Catholic and public school boards.
The company says it is starting slow to keep costs down, essentially adding seat belts as new buses replace old ones.
While questions may be raised about the safety of three-point belts for students aged three to 18, there are some safety considerations being made already.
The belts will be fully adjustable, and the seats themselves will have additional safety features for those who aren't wearing their belts.
"It's to protect students that are not wearing their seat belt when they should, and hold in place the students that are wearing their seat belts in the seat in front of them," Benoit Bourgault explained at a school board meeting on Monday night.
The seat belts will come at a cost of $12,000 per bus, a cost which will be split between the Catholic and public school boards.
