COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine announced details of 17 recommendations issued by the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group to enhance safety procedures in the state.
The recommendations come less than six months after an Ohio elementary school student was killed in a school bus crash on the first day of school. Now, the working group, after months of discussion the group presented recommendations.
What You Need To Know
- DeWine addressed the 17 recommendations issued by the Ohio School Bus Safety Group
- DeWine created the working group following the death of a Northwestern Local School District student who was killed in Clark County after police say another car crossed left of center and caused the bus to overturn.
- The suggestions put forth address bus driver recruitment, retention, training, education; school bus safety features, and commercial bus services.
The suggestions range from additional training on how the buses should be built in the future and recommend that school districts be given the flexibility to invest in the safety measures that best meet their needs. The group puts a big focus on bus driver training with the goal of making it more uniform across the state by creating a curriculum and a regional training program.
“We want to allow districts to have the flexibility to focus on safety features and new technology for school busses that can prevent crashes from happening at all,” said Andy Wilson, the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “Features like added lighting and reflective markings that can make busses more visible to drivers behind the bus and potentially more visible to distracted drivers.”
Meanwhile, the group also suggests parents and students should participate in a school bus safety orientation each year. It also recommends the state should better communicate school bus safety laws and ask lawmakers to create grants that would give school districts the necessary money to make needed changes.
“The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce will begin developing a standardized curriculum for six hours of annual school bus driver training,” said DeWine. “Every school bus driver in Ohio bears the same responsibilities. So, it makes sense that they should also have all have the same quality training.”
The report also looked into charter bus safety in the Buckeye state, suggesting that school districts using charter buses come up with screening policies to ensure the quality of both the buses and the drivers. The report is available online.
Correction: The previous version of this story incorrectly stated Andy Wilson's title. This article has been updated to say he is the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. (Feb. 5, 2024)