After a school bus driver was cited for reckless driving in an incident that endangered the lives of 44 middle school students in Prince George’s County on Wednesday, school districts around the D.C. region are reviewing their procedures and drivers’ records in an attempt to avoid similar frightening episodes.
Prince George’s has the lowest bus driver standards in suburban D.C., but one of the largest systems, according to information compiled by The Examiner. Fairfax County, with a comparable bus fleet, has the region’s most stringent standards and a lower accident rate.
“The lesson learned: When you get a (red) flag, you have to address it promptly,” said Mike Hobson, Prince George’s director of school transportation. Antonio Robinson, the driver who caused Wednesday’s crash, “had a driving record with infractions, and we should’ve made a decision to monitor him a little more closely.”
Robinson, who has worked for the district since August 2006, was most recently cited in 2005 for driving 46 mph in a 30-mph zone in Arlington, according to court records. He is currently suspended from his position.
In Maryland, Hobson said, schools are required to look only at driving records while licensed as a Maryland driver, allowing room for a poor record in another state.
“It’s a loophole,” Hobson acknowledged.
Neighboring Montgomery County attempts to close the loophole by examining all available driving records, spokeswoman Kate Harrison said.
Both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties allow no more than two points, indicative of minor traffic violations, on the applicant’s record at the time of hire.
Suburban Virginia districts base their hiring decisions on the driver’s record over five years and reject records with more than two moving violations in one year.
“We’re putting people on buses with our own children, so we’re very, very careful,” said Linda Farbry, director of transportation for Fairfax County schools, which requires more training hours than any district in the region.
The transportation department for D.C. schools has been taken over by a federal court-appointed monitor, who did not respond to calls for comment.
All districts require a school bus license test administrated in English and a criminal background check.
