This retired North Carolina bus shows how seats have changed in 60 years.
All Images by Derek Graham and Elaine Darby/North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
The school bus is widely considered the safest vehicle on the road, but it has taken decades of innovation on every aspect of the school bus to get to that point. This is true for everything ranging from windshields, paint colors, spacing, and even the seats used onboard.
School bus seats don’t seem like the height of engineering at first, but experts have spent years upon years refining the best materials and designs to ensure the safety and comfort of students.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction wanted to highlight the advancements that have earned school buses their safety reputation. If you don’t believe school bus seats have come a long way, wait until you see what students used to ride on side-by-side with today’s safer and more comfortable options.
A front view of the seats, organized chronologically
The oldest seat seen was recovered from a junkyard. Note the exposed metal frame and thin seat back.
This seat from 1962 featured a notched corner for standing students to hold onto.
A seat from 1972. The seat back is 18.5 inches tall and 2.5 inches thick.
A 1976 model. The seat back is 21 inches tall and 3.5 inches thick.
This 1988 seat shows a considerable increase in seat height.
Here’s a 2002 school bus seat (right) and a 2013 model. The 2002 seat back has the same dimensions as the one from 1988. The 2013 seat back is 30 inches tall and 3.75 inches thick.
