Since 1992, bus drivers must hold a commercial driver's license. Local school districts hire drivers, but the state plays a role, too. Drivers can't be hired if they have more than four points against their driving records. State officials check the bus-driver rolls each month to make sure drivers haven't committed violations. Drivers also must take a drug test before being hired.
Many districts also run a background check.
The buses themselves also are safer because South Carolina's education department is the only one in the nation that owns and maintains all the state's public school buses, department officials say. State-owned buses can be better maintained, and accidents and problems more carefully tracked, he said. Tudor is prepared to start the school year with some parents asking why their children are not buckled up. State lawmakers have asked the same question. Tudor said several studies show seat belts can produce more injuries in a school bus crash.