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(Columbus) After meeting a half dozen times over the last several months, the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group assembled by Governor Mike Dewine has come out with 17 recommendations for improving school bus safety. Topping the list is to not recommend a statewide mandate for the installation of seat belts on school buses. Instead, the panel suggests that that be optional, or the choice of individual school districts. Among the other recommendations made by the Group is the installation of external cameras on buses, fully illuminated stop arms at both the front and rear of the bus, lane departure warning systems, and all LED lights, among others.
The Group also recognized the potential cost of adding these items to school buses and recommends that the State of Ohio help with covering the costs. Governor Dewine said he'll work with the state legislature to find the money to assist districts this year. And he added that starting next year the costs can be worked into the state's budget.
The Governor put the Group together as a response to a deadly school bus crash in Clark County last August that killed 11-year-old Aiden Clark in the Northwestern Local School District.
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