Highway Patrol inspecting all school buses

VW independent staff/submitted information

In the coming weeks, school districts throughout Ohio will begin welcoming students back into their hallways. For many of these students their day starts and ends by riding a school bus.

Since 2018, there have been 6,089 traffic crashes involving school buses in Ohio. During this time, 1,847 people were injured and seven were killed. None of those killed were on a school bus.

As the buses return to the roadways, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has a few reminders. Motorists are required to stop at least 10 feet in front of or behind a school bus when flashing lights and an extended arm are displayed; motorists cannot resume driving until the school bus begins moving. The Patrol also reminds motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time for delays caused by school bus stops.

School buses are also required to be inspected twice a year to ensure the bus is operating properly. Every bus used to transport students is inspected before the beginning of the school year and once randomly during the year. Since 2018, the Patrol has performed more than 200,000 inspections.

According to Van Wert Patrol Post Commander Lt. Joseph Sisco, the Findlay District Licensing and Commercial Standards Unit completes school bus inspections for all buses in the Findlay District, which includes Van Wert County.

“I am proud of the dedication our staff displays when enforcing school bus laws and during inspections,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “I have no doubt their dedication will have a positive impact on making sure the students are transported to and from school and school-related events safely each day.”

For example, last year the Patrol, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Department of Education teamed up to create new highly-reflective “STOP” decals for the rear of every school bus in the state. Beginning in October 2022, each of the state’s nearly 20,000 school buses were outfitted with the new decals, which made buses more visible in both daylight and at nighttime. The first round of decals were printed by ODOT’s Sign Shop and provided to the schools at no cost.

Click here for a complete statistical breakdown of school bus inspections, crashes and passing stopped school bus violations.