Safety is the number one priority for Madison County school bus drivers, but they’re holding their breath as dozens of vehicles pass them illegally.
Wednesday is the first day of school and bus drivers say it’s up to you to keep kids safe at bus stops. The school system tallied up the number of times their school buses were passed by drivers in one day. It was 64.
To bus drivers that’s 64 times a day kids are going to or leaving school and their lives are being put on the line by impatient drivers.
“To me one is too many,” said Transportation Supervisor Eddie McCord.
About 10 school-aged kids are killed in school transportation-related crashes ever year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Madison County School bus drivers urge you to follow the law because it could mean life or death.
“The buses are yellow, they’re big, they’ve got lights front and rear, they’re flashing everywhere,” said Mccord. “Just have patience with us. We are hauling a precious cargo here.”
School bus drivers are doing everything possible to make sure your child is safe before getting off the bus.
“You’ve got to make sure the traffic in front of you and behind you is stopped,” Mccord said.
They’re always checking every mirror.
“Constantly,” said McCord. “That goes through your mind every stop you make. It has to.”
Bus drivers tell kids when it’s safe to cross the street, but what might happen next is up to you.
“Slow down, be careful when you’re around buses,” said McCord. “Patience, that’s the biggest key. We all got somewhere to go, I understand that, but we cannot replace these kids once we get them. They’re precious cargo we haul every day.”
If you see someone pass a school bus report them to law enforcement.
If you want to get behind the big yellow bus wheel, Madison County schools need more drivers.
