ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WITN) – School buses are how many students make it to campus throughout the school year. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) aims to make the journey a safe and enjoyable experience.

“It’s very important that the bus drivers meet these children with a smile and a good morning because you don’t know what morning they had or what kind of night they had before,” Teresa Gaskins, the driver’s education program specialist shared.

NCDMV has new testing methods to make sure children are in safe hands, headed to and from school.

School bus drivers not only have to pass the test, but also be familiar with the new safety features.

“We are looking and listening, that’s why we have the active noise button now, it is a safety feature on the bus, it works with the heat and the air,” Gaskins explained.

Other features, like a child reminder button, require the driver to walk down the aisle to check for students after every route is complete.

According to NCDMV’s Deputy Commissioner Tim Hayworth, a million dollars from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund allowed the agency to make improvements.

“With these buses and we have them now in all areas of the state, east, west and central part of our state, we’re able to train them based on our time,” Hayworth said.

Certain changes made in the newer models and a thorough inspection ensure enhanced safety.

“The structures of these buses are really strong and the speed limits, our buses only go 45 miles per hour,” Hayworth shared.

According to Terry Fuller, NCDMV’s school bus and traffic safety manager, the driver enrollment process usually goes through a 46% drop.

The new testing method for drivers has shortened the process, but still ensures student safety.