NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The events leading up to the tragic bus crash in Orange County remain unknown as the NTSB continues its investigation. As those questions persist, others have also popped up.

How do we know those motor coaches are safe? Who regulates them? What are those regulations?

Like school buses, motorcoaches are heavily regulated. Registered vehicles in the state have required inspections by the New York State Department of Transportation inspector every six months. Drivers have requirements of their own.

Four walls, desks and chairs offer only so many lessons to students across New York. It’s getting them beyond the brick and mortar and on the road where invaluable life lessons are learned.

“We are a district in poverty," said Niagara Falls City School District superintendent Mark Laurrie. "And the one area that our district in poverty needs to really focus on is having our kids exposed and build their schema to see things that they normally wouldn't see with their own eyes.”

The district is no stranger to charter bus trips.

“We have an annual eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C.,” Laurrie said. “We have had a trip for our art and music department to go to New York City. We have done, for the last three years, a trip to historically Black colleges.”

Laurrie says it creates a classroom on wheels. But with it comes risk.

“We are taking a liability as a district, a liability that I think is worth it to expose kids, but it's a liability nonetheless," Laurrie said.

The district goes through a checklist; looking at insurance, procedures, travel records of the charter companies they use. They have a short list of companies they use.

So that’s what a school district might look for. What about regulators? Robert Brisman, the president of Bus Association of New York, as well as West Point Tours, Inc., explains.

"New York State buses are inspected within every six months by the New York State Department of Transportation," Brisman said.

Much like how our vehicles are inspected, they look at everything. He says to look for a diamond sticker on the windows. That’s how you know it’s been inspected. Drivers do pre and post-inspections, too. They're also heavily regulated.

“Drivers must be fingerprinted, drug and alcohol screened. There's a 30-hour course that they need to take within the first year,” Brisman said.

This is all monitored by the DMV, DOT and NYS Education Department. The FBI is involved, too. The agency assists in background checks. Plus, drivers undergo physicals.

“For blood pressure, diabetes, heart, eyes, ears,” Brisman continued.

There are 66 charter motorcoach companies across New York. Brisman says it’s up to you to be educated.

“There’s a big trust factor because primarily these are safe vehicles, but you need to check out who is transporting your kids,” Brisman said.

Putting on his dad hat, Laurrie’s biggest piece of advice to parents and guardians is to ask questions.

“Make sure or insist there is a parent information night,” Laurrie said.

Laurrie says to also make sure your child’s medical documentation is on hand for the trip. He also says ask about the chaperone-to-student ratio. Make sure you’re comfortable with how many adults are on hand, and if one were to get sick, is the ratio small enough? He also suggests you meet those chaperones and get their numbers.