Thousands Of School Buses Being Inspected As New Jersey Students Head Back To School This Week
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Students in New Jersey are heading back to school this week and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is making sure that the buses they'll be riding in are as safe as possible. Thousands of buses will be inspected to make sure that they're all up to par.
Inspectors at Hillman's Bus Service are thoroughly checking for even the slightest faults with these buses.
"We have a 180-point inspection routine that we do. A bus could fail for as little as a lug nut being missing on it. We ensure that everything that's required has to be working perfectly before they can transport any student," said Tom Bednarz, of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
There are enhanced safety features, including rear cameras that capture views behind the bus, and more secure safety belts, which are new in 2019.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission will be inspecting buses all week long, leaving no stone unturned, knowing these buses will be racking up hundreds of miles along their routes, while carrying precious lives on board.
"We're out here everyday checking the 24,000 buses in the State of New Jersey to make sure that they're safe for the kids and we also check driver records while we're here too," Bednarz said.
Drivers 70 years or older will be required now to have a physical twice a year, while drivers 70 and under only once a year. Safety inspectors say buses are still the safest way to get your child to and from school everyday.
