Senate committee rejects bill to lower bus driver age

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) —  A Senate Committee rejected a bill today to lower the age of school bus drivers in Tennessee.

State lawmakers raised the age of drivers to 25 after the Woo dmore bus crash in Chattanooga that killed six Elementary students.

The driver, who was 24 years old, was on a phone when he lost control of the vehicle.

The proposal to drop the age limit to 21 was an effort to address the shortage of drivers.

But a member of the Department of Safety told lawmakers that few school bus drivers are that young.

And the trade off wasn’t worth it.

Critics of the bill say the main reason for a driver shortage is we don’t pay them enough or give them health insurance.