HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Bus drivers for Hillsborough County Schools are doing a test run for all school bus routes early Thursday morning to make sure they are prepared and ready for the start of school on Friday.
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One big change students can expect to see is seat belts on all of the 842 Hillsborough County buses.
School district leaders were able to add about 100 new school buses over the summer, allowing them to phase out any older buses that still didn't have them.
While seat belts are now required on all new school buses in Florida, students are not required to wear them.
Now, bus drivers are asking parents to remind kids to buckle up.
For parents concerned about their child being able to escape a bus seat belt in an emergency, school district leaders say there are seat-belt cutters available on every school bus.