Should There Be Upper Age Limits for School Bus Drivers?

Indianapolis, IN
How old is too old? 24-Hour News 8 is looking into the issue of school bus safety, specifically, the age of drivers. The numbers may not be what you expect.

Indiana law requires school bus drivers to be at least 21 years old, but there is no maximum age limit. According to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 28 percent of Hoosiers who hold valid school bus licenses are 60 or older, and 7 percent are older than 70.

The latest school bus fatality in central Indiana involved bus driver Thomas Spencer. The Marion County coroner ruled the 60-year-old had a heart attack at the time of the crash. He and a passenger, 5-year-old Donesty Smith, died in the crash.

Two months later, 73-year-old Jack Thomas lost control of his Carmel Clay School bus after he was bounced out of his seat. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt. The bus crashed into a homeowner's garage. Thomas survived and later resigned from his job.