"Make sure we don't have any loose bolts," said Elvin Cordero, a motor vehicle inspector for the state of Ohio.When he's inspecting a school bus, Cordero checks everything from the brakes to seat cushions to emergency exits, and everything in between."The bus number, bus ID — everything is going to be illuminated when the lights are on," Cordero said as he showed WLWT investigator Todd Dykes the process he follows. "I inspect the bus like if my children is (sic) on the bus. Because they do. My kids ride the bus."Dykes watched as Cordero examined bus 222 in the Lakota school district. The work he and his colleagues do is increasingly important because the number of cars that crash into buses is startling. "Since 2016 there have been 848 crashes in Hamilton County," Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Christina Hayes said. "That's an alarming rate."Three weeks ago, Cincinnati police say someone hit a school bus on Westwood Northern Boulevard. Thankfully, police said all the students riding the bus are okay, a testament to the state's focus on twice-yearly inspections."The school bus is safe for them," Hayes said."It’s not well known what we actually do, what we actually inspect on the buses," Cordero said. "It's like every little switch on that bus there has to operate, and it has to be illuminated."From every switch to every emergency kit Cordero is dialed into one thing."Anything that’s safety, okay," he said.Other drivers also play a key role when it comes to keeping students safe. Unfortunately, plenty of Ohioans are not doing their part. Since 2016, state troopers have written almost 16,720 citations for passing a stopped school bus and other school zone violations.