Tests determine if Valley school buses make grade


Photo

Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Philip Sheaffer checks the seats and windows of a Youngstown school bus. Buses don’t go on the road until they meet all parts of the inspection.

Photo

Ohio State Highway Patrol motor vehicle inspector Dave Gross places a passing seal of approval on the side of a Youngstown school bus. OSP’s inspections check buses’ chassis, body, lettering, rear and front covering everything from the battery, axle, brakes and muffler to the emergency doors and windows, defrosters, seat cushions and wipers.

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

Youngstown

Before school buses hit the road this fall to transport students to and from school, each one must pass an inspection.

“We inspect inside and outside, top to bottom, every bus,” said Dave Gross, a motor-vehicle inspector with the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Gross stood at the rear of one bus Monday morning at the city schools’ bus garage with Trooper Philip Sheaffer at the front while a mechanic sat in the driver’s seat.

“Brakes,” Sheaffer calls.

“Brakes good,” Gross responds.

Buses don’t go on the road until they meet all parts of the inspection, said Lt. Marvin Hill, commander of the Warren District of OSHP’s licensing and commercial standards section.

Inspections check buses’ chassis, body, lettering, rear and front covering everything from the battery, axle, brakes and muffler to the emergency doors and windows, defrosters, seat cushions and wipers.

Each school bus sees two inspections each year, one before the start of the school year and one spot inspection. Hill said that’s about 7,000 inspections annually in the Warren district.

OSHP has 23 teams of motor-vehicle inspectors who inspect the school buses. From 2008 to 2010, that amounted to more than 140,000 inspections statewide.

Sometimes, a violation can be fixed while inspectors are on site. Other times, inspectors return for a re-inspection after problems are addressed.

“Safety is the most-important thing,” Hill said.

When a bus passes the inspection, inspectors affix a green sticker in the shape of Ohio on its side.

If that same bus fails an inspection later, inspectors rip off the seal.

“We have to make sure everything is safe because they’re transporting precious cargo,” Gross said.

Drivers have to be aware of that cargo, too.

Ohio law requires motorists who approach a school bus from either direction to stop at least 10 feet back from buses displaying red flashing light and the extended stop sign.

Between 2008 and 2010, more than 4,400 motorists were cited for failing to stop for a school bus that was either loading or unloading children.

Sheaffer said mileage on most buses they see falls between 100,000 and 200,000 miles. School buses usually remain in service between 12 and 15 years.

Some stay on the road longer though.

Annual inspections start after the end of school each spring, continuing until all buses have been inspected.

“Our goal is to work with the schools to make sure they’re ready for the start of school,” Hill said.

Youngstown schools’ fleet totals 59 buses, although additional vehicles may be put in service if needed.

Earlier this year, the district bought 37 buses from Community Bus Service Inc., Youngstown, to replace older buses in the aging fleet. The newer buses date from 2005 and 2007.

By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.

» Accept
» Learn More