COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio school bus safety working group met for the fourth time on Thursday afternoon to discuss improvements to driver training.
The group formed after a crash in Clark County this summer that left one student dead and 11 students injured.
Right now in Ohio to become a bus driver, you need 15 hours of classroom training, a commercial learner's permit and a student transportation certificate. That hands-on training is crucial, said Senior Transportation Consultant Doug Palmer.
“Our OBIs (on-boarding instructor) teach them how to handle the bus with the driver behind the wheel, both on the range course and a road course. The OBIs are well trained, they know how to help drivers attain skills to pass the tests needed,” said Palmer.
But Palmer believes more can be done to train bus drivers. One of those ways is with more hands-on training.
“We need technique driving skills, understanding weight and center of gravity. We need an enhanced training. We need to reduce fatigue driving, we need threat assessment and situation awareness. We need a model for evacuation and emergency training” said Palmer.
Collen Hall is a teacher for bus drivers who also spoke to the group. She believes one of the most challenging but important tasks for drivers to do is the pre-trip. That means checking the bus's tires and engine to ensure everything is working properly.
“I’m transporting someone’s child and I want to make sure the bus is as safe as can be. If my eyes are checking that every day and I see the wear and tear, I write that up and go to the mechanic immediately. Then, they can fix it immediately,” said Hall.
Hall said right now bus drivers struggle with a few things.
“Pre-tripping is one of the biggest hang-ups and being nervous about driving such a big vehicle,” said Hall.
The next and final meeting is on Dec. 1.