Troopers Check School Buses for Safety

PHILO, OH – Back to school means back on the bus, and the highway patrol is making sure students ride safe and sound.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol teamed up with Franklin Local Schools to inspect every single school bus, making sure each one is safe to hit the road. Each bus in Ohio is checked twice a year. troopers look over the outside, the inside, and even underneath the bus to make sure everything is in working order.

“We start with the outside of the bus to make sure all of the lights are working. We check all of the lights, the brake lights, turn signals, headlights, high beams, and low beams. All of the buses are equipped with the mirrors on the front; those are checked, and we make sure the heating elements are working for wintertime purposes. We check the tire condition, and we actually run through the light sequence to make sure everything is working correctly.” Sgt. Tim Scott said.

The inspections are a yearly effort across Ohio, and officials say it’s a reminder of just how important school bus safety is for students and the community.

“It’s very important to check the safety of the buses because they’re operating and transporting children on the highways every day of the school year and field trips during the summertime. We just want to make sure the buses are safe for operation with no mechanical issues or anything else that could cause any problems on the bus.” Sgt. Scott said.

The highway patrol reminds drivers to be extra careful around buses, stop for those flashing red lights and always watch for students crossing.