With the first day of school quickly approaching, Kansas Highway Patrol troopers are assisting school districts throughout the state in assuring that students arrive to and from their destinations safely. Troopers are inspecting school buses from now until the beginning of the school session to make sure the vehicles will load, transport, and unload students safely. Buses and other vehicles throughout the state are also inspected for compliance with safety regulations.

“Checking school buses for safety and to ensure there are no vehicle defects is a task we handle every year in order to keep Kansas children safe,” Patrol Superintendent, Colonel Terry Maple said. “Kansas parents expect their children to be kept safe while they are at school, and that should not be limited to the classroom.”

Thousands of school vehicles’ equipment and mechanical conditions will be checked as troopers visit each school district. A bus that passes the inspection will display a green sticker of approval in the corner of the windshield. Buses that do not comply with safety regulations cannot be used to transport students until all defects are corrected and a trooper rechecks the vehicle. In 2009, 9,409 buses were checked by the Kansas Highway Patrol for defects.