LANSING. The Michigan State Police (MSP) Traffic Safety Division is pleased to announce that 302 schools will receive a Certificate of Excellence for achieving a 100 percent pass rate on their annual school bus safety inspections. A total of 17,282 school buses were inspected during the 2006-2007 school year, with 89.3% or 15,448 buses passing. This is an increase from last year's 88 percent pass rate and 2005's 85 percent pass rate.

"For the third year in a row, the percentage of school buses in Michigan passing inspection has increased," stated Capt. Robert R. Powers, commander of the MSP Traffic Safety Division. "This represents a significant increase in safety as a result of continued commitment by school bus transportation officials to ensure school buses remain the safest form of transportation for school kids."

This year, MSP vehicle safety inspectors "red-tagged" 1,370 school buses representing 7.9 percent of the state's fleet. Last year, 8.9 percent of buses or 1,556 buses were red-tagged. A red-tagged bus is immediately placed out-of- service and cannot be used to transport pupils until the defect(s) are repaired.

Four-hundred-and-sixty-four school buses or 2.7 percent of the state fleet were "yellow-tagged" this year, up from 433 or 2.5 percent of buses last year. Vehicles identified with less serious safety defects receive a yellow-tag that requires the defects to be repaired within 60 days.

The Pupil Transportation Act (P.A. 187 of 1990) mandates the MSP inspect each school bus annually. There are 12 vehicle safety inspectors statewide who conduct the 198-point safety inspections.

Complete inspection results for Michigan's 940 public and private school bus fleets can be found on the MSP web site at www.michigan.gov/msp.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Sgt. Sharron VanCampen, MSP Traffic Safety Division, (517) 336-6417