COLUMBUS, Ohio — A workgroup dedicated to improving the safety of traveling on school buses in Ohio did not recommend that the state mandate seat belts.
Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials released 17 recommendations made by the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group on Wednesday. The group was made after an 11-year-old boy was killed and 23 others were injured in a Clark County school bus crash last August.
The group concluded that school buses are the safest mode of transportation for students traveling to and from school, but improvements could still be made, ranging from more professional development and training to school bus safety features.
However, the group did not recommend that seat belts should be mandated.
"Because hazards impacting school bus travel vary across school districts, all group members agreed that schools should have the flexibility to invest in seat belts or any other school bus safety equipment that best meet their unique needs," according to a release from DeWine.
Ohio is one of 42 states that does not require seat belts on large school buses, but they are permitted if the district chooses to install them.
According to the group's report, a survey of Ohio's school bus drivers revealed almost 81% of them do not think buses should have seat belts because of concerns about releasing seat belts in an emergency.
The group made 17 recommendations related to bus driver recruitment and retention, training and education, school bus safety features, road and traffic safety, emergency response and commercial bus services.
During the review, the group found the quality of annual bus driver training varies across the state. It recommended the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce develop a uniform curriculum. The group also recommended the agency develop a regional advanced bus driver training program and work with the Ohio General Assembly to offer training to school districts at no cost.
Other recommendations include improved access to professional development and wellness support for bus drivers, expanded public and parental engagement, school zone and bus route safety audits and enhanced penalties for drivers of other vehicles who violate traffic laws in school zones or around buses.
To read the full school bus report, click here.