Bus Blunders: "If its safe on Monday, its safe on Sunday"

Essay by angel53035High School, 12th gradeA+, April 2006

download word file, 15 pages 3.0

One of the ongoing issues in our country, our state, is that of safety, specifically children's safety. One of the most controversial batlegrounds encompases children safety on busses used for their transportation to and from religious organizations. Most recently, on April 4 1995, Attorney Terry Lee Hamilton, and Pastor Thompson of Cleveland Baptist Church met with an official at the office of Governor Voinovich to discuss the mandates that all busses not used as school busses nust be painted a different color than the prescribed yellow from the Ohio Revised Code. On April 10, 1995, the director of the state office contacted Attorney Hamilton to inform him that the legislatures and the Governor's office agreed with Pastor Thompson statement that, "If yellow is safe on Monday, then it is also safe on Sunday." Registered church busses used exclusively for the transportation of children are now allowed to retain the yellow paint, reflected as part of the Ohio Revised Code. But yet safety issues still exist, and action must be taken immediately.

Currently, statewide safety regulations mandated by the Ohio Revised Code are in affect for all busses exclusively used for the transportation of children are as follows:

A) Prohibits the operation of a bus within this state unless it is painted national school bus yellow as defined in Section 4511.77 of the Revised Code.

B) Eight or Ten inch black lettering displaying either "school bus" or "church bus" respectively.

C) Section 4513.52 of the Revised Code details required bus safety inspections:

1) The department of public safety, with the advice of the public utilities commission, shall adopt and enforce rules relating to the inspection of buses to determine whether a bus is safe and lawful, including whether its equipment is in proper adjustment or repair.

2) The rules...