Michigan parents with smartphones can help keep track of school buses that didn't pass the state's annual safety inspection.
Inspection results for individual buses can be accessed by scanning a QR code sticker found on the bus's door.
The state says 85% of school buses passed this year’s safety inspection. The 15% that didn’t pass received either a “yellow” or “red” status.
Buses tagged as yellow need repairs but aren’t inoperable. Red-tagged buses must be repaired before they can go back on the road.
George McLaughlin with the Michigan State Police Vehicle Enforcement Division said the new QR stickers will let parents be an “extra set of eyes” to help the state keep track of buses in need of repair.
"If a parent walks up and scans that QR code, and it comes back red, then they should be contacting the school district,” McLaughlin said.
This is the first year safety inspectors have used an automated application to track school bus inspection results.
The state is also piloting a new message board system on some school buses starting next month.
The boards will work in conjunction with the bus's light system and will display messages such as “bus preparing to stop” and “do not pass."
