As students return to the classroom New Jersey is trying to ensure safety on school buses.
State officials will check school buses in Cinnaminson as part of a program that examines 24,000 student transportation vehicles twice a year.
More than 180 items are checked on every bus, according to the State Motor Vehicle Commission.
“As with the inspection of any school vehicle that transports children, MVC inspectors are meticulous in their efforts to detect major and minor defects,” said MVC chairman and chief administrator Raymond Martinez.
Martinez was on hand Wednesday at the town's bus yard.
"The MVC works year-round to ensure that New Jersey's school buses make the grade," said Martinez. “As we mark the beginning of the school year and parents check off their back-to-school lists, they should be able to entrust their local school districts with their children to and from school every day.”
The MVC says the biannual inspections result in approximately 48 percent of school vehicles being temporarily placed out-of service and 13 percent are issued 30-day rejection stickers.
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Violations can range from serious brake and steering problems to minor issues.
An MVC mobile inspection team on Tuesday checked school buses in Fair Lawn.
Despite all the measures made to ensure safety, school bus accidents can't be entirely prevented. One girl was killed and five children were hurt when a Chesterfield Elementary School bus was struck in Burlington County in February 2012.
Click here to see the report for buses at your child's school.
