Each day, more than 810,000 students in Michigan ride the bus to school, traveling over 10 million miles annually. So how do parents know the big yellow vehicles their children are riding in are safe?

Because one of a dozen specially trained Michigan State Police (MSP) vehicle safety inspectors has thoroughly examined every inch of that bus, from the engine to the exhaust to the emergency exits, to ensure it is ready for the road.

In preparation of National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 22-26, each of those inspectors are receiving updated training and proficiency testing to ensure they are current on all equipment changes, legal amendments and any new policies governing school bus safety.

Michigan school buses undergo a 198-point inspection, which is far more extensive than any other commercial vehicle in the state, according to Sgt. Sharron VanCampen of the MSP Traffic Safety Division.

"We have some of the most stringent inspection criteria in the nation," VanCampen said. "Each inspection takes between 40 and 45 minutes."

All school vehicles transporting pupils to or from school, or a school-related activity, must be inspected annually. During the 2006-2007 school year, 17,282 school buses were inspected. The results of those inspections will be available during School Bus Safety Week.

School buses are considered the safest form of transportation to school for children, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In 2006, Michigan school buses were involved in 926 crashes that resulted in 156 injuries and two fatalities, according to the MSP Criminal Justice Information Center. Both of the fatalities involved drivers or passengers of passenger vehicle, not students on the bus.