ELKVIEW, WV. — Bus drivers from across the state gathered at Herbert Hoover High School Wednesday morning to show off their driving skills at the 47th annual West Virginia Bus Safety Road-eo.
Bus Safety Road-eo invited drivers from all counties to come and work on their skills as they compete for a trophy and the right to compete at the International Road-eo in Austin, Texas, next week.
Despite the good incentives, Summers County substitute bus driver Thomas Cox said that’s not why he went out driving.
“There are awards and recognitions for everyone, but I’m not here for that,” Cox said Wednesday morning. “My thing is just honing my skills.”
Cox said the event is a great opportunity to learn more about his craft and that’s what every bus driver should do to improve.
“The day you stop learning as a bus driver is the day you hang up the keys because you have to learn every day you drive,” Cox said.
Drivers were able to learn and grow with a complex course in the parking lot of Herbert Hoover High School. The course was designed to challenge drivers in everyday situations such as loading students, tight left and right turns, as well as reverse parking.
Cabell County bus driver Kevin Irwin says the ride is difficult, but nothing he hasn’t seen on the job.
“It’s a little tight,” Irwin said after surveying the field. “Getting from one event to another is a little tricky, but in the real world, we have cars and vehicles parked inches away from us that we sometimes have to walk through.”
Kanawha County Schools Safety and Training Supervisor Jimmy Lacy says practicing while school is out of session is vital to examining drivers’ safety habits.
“It’s important because a child’s life is in danger every time we’re on the road,” Lacy said. “This is a way for a driver to show how much he cares about the safety of the students he transports every day and how much that means to them.”
In addition to the opportunity to evaluate the state’s bus drivers, Lacy says the road-eo is a good opportunity to give back to an underappreciated group of essential workers.
“A lot of times bus drivers are not appreciated,” Lacy said. “This is just one way we, as a State Association and Department of Education, can show our appreciation for what they do every day to keep our children safe.”
In addition to top prizes, drivers and workers enjoyed vendors and food trucks on the Herbert Hoover campus in between their time on the course.
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