From 2011-2013, 4,055 drivers were convicted of failing to stop for a school bus that was loading or dropping off passengers, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
“The lights are flashing, the stop bar is extended and people are still either not paying attention or not adhering to that because they’re in a hurry,” Kramer said.
In 2014, 1,016 crashes involving schools buses had been reported to the Ohio Department of Public Safety as of Tuesday.
Pat McBride, superintendent at Newton Local Schools in Miami County, said one key for student safety is making sure the right people are behind the wheel.
“These drivers need to be defensive and they need to be looking ahead and anticipating potential problems,” McBride said. “We’ve been very fortunate to have great bus drivers here at Newton … they come with an idea that there’s more to the job than it’s just a job.”
Some schools across the Miami Valley have dealt with problems stemming from bus transportation.
The Vandalia-Butler City Schools district has had at least three crashes involving its buses, which are driven by workers from First Student, the Cincinnati-based transportation company contracted to transport students.
Vandalia-Butler’s superintendent said the company has failed to provide a safe and reliable bus service to the school district.
“At all levels, they have failed,” said Superintendent Brad Neavin in a statement last week.
Kramer said bus safety isn’t just about the drivers of the buses themselves, but also the people that are driving near them.
“Anytime you see a school bus, just be real safe around them, because there are children inside,” Kramer said.
Kramer said he anticipates approximately 50 troopers in the Miami Valley to be on the roads monitoring school buses and the traffic around them to ensure students are being transported safely. He said drivers will be cited if they are not following the law in regards to school buses.
“We’re not keying on one specific school district,” Kramer said. “Every school district probably has some officer following it.”
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