MSHP completes annual school bus inspections

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the results of the Driver and Vehicle Safety Division’s 2023 annual school bus inspection program.

Missouri’s 2023 school bus inspection results are as follows:

• School buses rated as “approved” upon initial inspection: 9,995

• School buses rated as “defective” upon initial inspection: 1,088

• School buses rated as “out-of-service” upon initial inspection: 381

Buses with identified defective components require repair within 10 days. Buses placed out-of-service require correction of the components and re-inspection and a return to service by patrol personnel prior to further usage in transporting passengers.

A total of 256 Missouri school districts earned the patrol’s total fleet excellence award for 2023. During the 2023-2024 school year, 4,769 buses in these award-winning fleets are eligible to display the patrol’s total fleet excellence sticker in the lower corner of the first window on the passenger entry side of the bus.

Nodaway County school buses received the following results:

• Nodaway-Holt R-VII, four buses, 100 percent approved.

• South Nodaway R-IV. six buses, 100 percent approved.

• West Nodaway R-I, four buses, 100 percent approved.

• Jefferson C-123, five buses, 80 percent approved, zero defective, 20 percent out of service.

• Maryville R-II, 18 buses, 88.9 percent approved,  5.6 percent defective 5.6 percent out of service.

• North Nodaway R-VI, seven buses, 71.4 percent approved, 28.6 percent defective, zero out of service.

• Northeast Nodaway R-V, six buses, 50.0 percent approved, 50 percent defective, zero out of service.

Missouri school bus inspection results are a matter of public record.

“Everyone wants to keep our children safe as they travel to and from school. To that end, the Missouri State Highway Patrol personnel, in partnership with pupil transportation professionals statewide, inspected 11,464 school buses in accordance with Missouri revised state statutes,” said Olson.

The following safety items are to be included in the safety inspection of all school buses in the state of Missouri:

• Air pollution, missing, inoperative, other.

• Brakes, air compressor, emergency/park, hoses/lines, low warning device, master cylinder, pedal reserve, vacuum unit, other.

• Bumpers, damaged, missing, other.

• Crossing control arm, inoperable, missing.

• Emergency doors and exits, buzzer, lettering, operation, passageway, other.

• Exhaust system, exhaust pipe, manifold, muffler, supporting hardware, tail pipe, other.

• Frame, visible cracks not properly repaired.

• Fuel system, filler cap missing, leaking, other.

• Glazing, emergency door, service door, side glasses, windshield, other.

• Hand hold grips/ handrails, damaged/missing, improper mount, other.

• Heating and defrosting, defrosters, heaters, other.

• Horn, operation, other.

• Lettering and signs, color, lettering, other.

• Lighting and signaling, clearance lights, headlights, identification lights, reflectors, side marker lights, stop arm lights, stoplights, taillights, tum signal lights, overhead warning flashers, other.

• Miscellaneous, body condition, bus color, passenger compartment condition, other.

• Mirrors, convex crossview, exterior rearview, interior rearview, other.

• Seat belt (Driver), inoperative, missing, retractor missing, other.

• Seat, mounting, condition, other.

• Service door, flexible material, operation, other.

• Steering and suspension, ball joints, drag link, idler arm, jamming/ binding, king pins, pitman arm, power steering, springs, shackles, steering wheel play, tie rods, torsion bar, wheel play, wheel bearings, other.

• Tires, damaged, worn, other.

• Treads and mats, aisle mats/runners, step treads, other.

• Wheels, damaged, missing lug nuts, other.

• Windshield wipers, operation, wearing, other.