ALBANY, N.Y. – The Bus Association of New York State (BANY) is advising operators to alert passengers in advance – through contracts, signs or announcements – about the state’s new seat belt requirement for certain charter buses and to notify out-of-state groups before crossing into New York.
The law, sponsored by Assemblyman William Magnarelli, took effect April 21 and applies to buses manufactured on or after Nov. 28, 2016.
Responsibility for compliance rests with passengers, not drivers or operators, and violations can carry fines of up to $50. The rule covers only “chartered party” trips—exclusive group hires under a single contract—and excludes commuter, sightseeing, and regular line buses.
Passengers aged 16 and older must now wear seat belts. Those aged 8–15 must also buckle up, with fines in those cases issued to a parent or guardian who is present. Children under 8 remain subject to preexisting child restraint rules.
Extenders in demand
The change has led to a spike in requests for seat belt extenders, according to Jeff Goldwasser, who supplies bus equipment, including through Amaya Seating.
“Let’s say there’s a person who is too large to buckle their own belt – like on an airplane, they offer seat belt extenders,” he said. “So I have people call me saying, ‘Hey, is this available?’ I worked with Amaya, the manufacturer, to make them for Amaya seats.”
Goldwasser noted the extenders are designed exclusively for Amaya seats manufactured since 2015. They sell for under $35 each, and most operators keep only one or two on hand rather than purchasing in bulk.
“People call me who travel in New York State, and they just don’t want to have any issues on the bus,” Goldwasser said. “God forbid there’s an accident, and the only person seriously injured is a passenger with a larger body who couldn’t buckle a seat belt. This takes that possibility off the table.”
The law follows several serious crashes involving charter buses, including a September 2023 accident in Orange County that killed two adult chaperones traveling with Long Island students.
