The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced new rules to require motorcoaches to be equipped with seat belts.

"We're committed to making sure that motorcoach travelers reach their destinations safely," said Secretary Ray LaHood. "Seat belts save lives, and putting them in motorcoaches just makes sense."

New York bus accidents are a significant threat to both passengers and other motorists on the road. Safety advocates have argued for a mandatory seat belt law for years and claim the new proposals still fall short of what's necessary to help ensure the safety of bus passengers.

For starters, the rules will apply only to new buses and not to those already on the road. Mid-size buses and school buses will also be exempt from the new requirements.

Buses carry some 750 million passengers each year -- more than the airline industry. The government believes seat belts will reduce fatality rates in rollover accidents by 77 percent.

Earlier this year, the government announced the Motorcoach Safety Action Plan, which seeks to address other safety issues, including driver fatigue, inattention and poor maintenance. Researchers are also reviewing possible safety improvements to motorcoach structure, fire safety protection and emergency evacuation standards.

Safety advocates continue to voice concern about the lack of standard safety features in school buses. The New York Department of Transportation reported there were 2,317 New York school bus accidents in 2008 that claimed 9 lives and injured 1,791 people. More than half of the injured (903) were school bus passengers.

Ninety-one pedestrians and 20 bicyclists were also injured or killed in accidents with New York school buses.