In honor of National School Bus Safety Week, we took the opportunity to highlight the efforts being made across our district to keep our students safe, both on the bus and around it.
Ride-Along with Trooper Foster
On Monday, October 20, Trooper Foster of the Ohio State Highway Patrol joined Bus #7, driven by Dori Robertson, for a morning ride-along. With 18 years of experience as a state trooper, Trooper Foster shared insight into how law enforcement supports bus safety during this important week and year-round.
“During School Bus Safety Week, we ride along with buses and follow routes to monitor driver behavior, check visibility concerns, and see if additional signage is needed,” Trooper Foster explained. “If a district reports ongoing issues, we’ll go out, follow the bus, and help find solutions.”
Bus driver Dori Robertson welcomed the opportunity, noting that it was a great fit:
“This is a brand-new route for me with a new group of students, and I’d been experiencing some issues,” she said. “I showed Trooper Foster a few areas where vehicles often cross the double yellow lines to get around my bus or occasionally run the red lights. While we didn’t catch anyone in the act that morning, he got to see the areas I’m concerned about.”
Trooper Foster, who patrols Defiance and Williams Counties, noted that districts like Bryan have also seen a rise in red-light violations. To help raise awareness, he’s partnering with Bryan Schools next month to simulate a school bus crash during a mass casualty drill using real students to portray passengers, and including emergency response teams and media to show the serious consequences of illegal passing.
“We decided to model it after a red light violation, where a vehicle strikes a bus and injures a student,” he said. “These things are hard to deal with, but we need to be ready and proactive. For schools, it's a mass casualty drill. For us, it's just a Monday...we have to be prepared any day, any time.”
School Bus Crash Statistics in Ohio
Trooper Foster also shared the following facts:
Since 2020, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has conducted nearly 195 school bus inspections in our area.
There have been 6,224 crashes involving school buses in Ohio since 2020.
Of those, 5 were fatal, tragically resulting in 5 lives lost, including one school-aged child.
He also reminded us of Ohio’s school bus stop law:
“When a bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, all vehicles in both directions must stop at least 10 feet away. The only exception is on roads with 4 or more lanes traveling in opposite directions, and even then, only the traffic moving in the same direction as the bus is required to stop.”
Safety Technology and Protocols
Our school buses are equipped with four cameras each to monitor safety and provide clear video evidence in case of an incident. Cameras also assist law enforcement in identifying violators and are valuable tools during investigations.
Trooper Foster emphasized how bus safety protocols have evolved:
“Emergency exits, rooftop hatches, side windows, all those features are there because of past incidents. Even where students sit is now tracked for emergencies. Every bus should have a list with each student’s name, address, phone number, and seating location, which helps first responders in a crisis.”
Bus Safety Education for Students
In addition to law enforcement efforts, Transportation Supervisor Angie Bussing visited all of our elementary classes Monday through Wednesday to teach students about proper bus behavior.
Angie Bussing explained that school buses are among the safest ways to travel to school thanks to their strict regulations and safety designs. She reminded students:
Sit properly and face forward
No eating or drinking
Use quiet voices so the driver can concentrate
Always wait for the driver’s signal before crossing the street
The class also learned about compartmentalization - how the high-backed, padded seats are designed to protect them in the event of a crash.
To celebrate their good listening and participation, Angie handed out special pencils, and the whole class gathered for a photo to mark the occasion.
Thank You, Bus Drivers and Safety Partners
We’re grateful to our dedicated bus drivers, safety leaders like Trooper Foster, and transportation staff like Angie Bussing for their commitment to keeping Tinora students safe. Bus Safety Week is a vital reminder that it takes all of us, schools, families, law enforcement, and the community to ensure our children get to and from school safely each day.
Please remember: Stop for the bus. Stay alert. Save a life.
