MENTOR, Ohio (WJW) – An average yellow school bus is about 35 feet long and every inch of it is inspected.

On Wednesday, Governor Mike DeWine got a firsthand look at how the state’s 19,000 buses are checked before they hit the road with your children.

Those Ohio school buses, spread out across more than 600 school districts in 88 counties, all get this type of inspection.

The emphasis is always on making the buses safer.

That, the governor says, will be the main reason for a new task force.

“We go into this with no preconceptions. The group will look at every aspect of this, from the construction, the maintenance, the inspections.” DeWine said.

It will also look at the issue of seat belts.

A fatal rollover crash on a rural road near Dayton raises the issue of whether or not Ohio buses should be equipped with seat belts.

Some states require them, but Ohio does not. The governor says while this is not off the table, it will be a part of the discussion.

“There are some pros and cons on this argument. I’m not the expert and I don’t pretend to be and that’s why we’re putting this working group together and that’s why we’re asking them to bring in the best information they can.” DeWine said.

Other issues include drivers who ignore stopped buses, bus driver training, addressing the shortage of available drivers and the level of inspection on buses.

Right now, Ohio has a very rigorous set of safety inspection protocols where every bus in the state is inspected twice a year.

“That inspection manual has the standard, the violations and notes about every single bus and what would put it out of service and if they’re able to fix it or if it will require it for us to come back and look at that bus,” Ohio Highway Patrol Lieutenant Aaron Reimer said.

Governor DeWine is asking for five public hearings from the new task force, which he says will be made up of experts around the country and Ohio to evaluate bus safety in the state.

Dewine says the group’s findings, he hopes, will spark legislative action if it’s needed.

“This is a report to the people of the state. It’s a report to the governor, it’s a report to the state legislature and we’ll take action once we get those recommendations.” DeWine said.

The governor says they are now in the process of rounding up local and national experts on school bus safety.

He says once the panel is formed, there will be five public hearings that he hopes will begin in the fall.