AVON LAKE, Ohio — Students are heading back to the classroom.
Before that happens, the Ohio State Highway Patrol needs to give school buses across the state a passing grade.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol allowed News 5 to watch the bus inspection process at Avon Lake City Schools.
Inspector David Guzowski checked all aspects of the bus from the lights to the engine. Guzowski also looked underneath the bus and examined the interior.
The whole process took about 20 to 30 minutes. Once complete, Guzowski placed a new sticker on the side of the bus to mark it as safe.
Guzowski said the most common problem he sees during inspections is rust. He said buses with malfunctioning safety controls or issues with brakes and tires will not pass inspection. Often, those problems are fixed on site before state highway patrol completes the inspection.
OSHP said it is responsible for inspecting over 3,000 buses in the region. In the State of Ohio, school buses must complete two inspections a year. The first inspection happens before the school year and the second one about six months later.
Guzowski said keeping our children safe is a team process and parents and kids need to continue that work once the school year begins.
"The highway patrol does a great job to inspect the buses, and it is a team effort between us and the school districts," he said. "Now, we need need the parents and the children to continue obeying the traffic control devices and stop for reds."
Guzowski said that means stopping when a school bus displays its red flashing lights, as required by law.
Lieutenant Luke Tidaback with OSHP said parents need to have a conversation with kids about their behavior while riding the bus.
"Respect the driver, limit the distractions that happen on a school bus," he said. "We live in a world now where distracted driving is a big problem, and occupants on a school bus can lead to that."
Drivers also play a key role in keeping students safe on the road. Over the last five years, OSHP said there have been 7,179 school bus crashes statewide. Cuyahoga County ranked third with 614 crashes involving school buses in that same period.
"The major factor in our crashes is driver inattention," Tidaback said. "Whether that be the school bus driver or the drivers in the other public not paying attention, not being aware of the situation involving the school bus at the location."
