Tuesday, May 1, 2007

PUTTING THE BUS ISSUE TO REST

This will be the last post having to do with distracted school bus drivers. We’ve received a lot of feedback, both good and bad, on the issue. We didn’t do this story to sensationalize the issue or get drivers in trouble. We did the story to raise awareness of the issue. It’s true, being a school bus driver is a thankless job. While we were shooting this story, the vast majority of drivers were obeying all the rules, but we did find some drivers doing some things that could be considered distracting. A viewer commented, “I agree with the drivers that there are many distractions involved with driving a bus load of children. That is why I believe that there is no excuse for adding to the distraction by eating, drinking, talking on cell phones, or having ipods attached to your ears.” That, I believe, is the point here. There are many other drivers on the road, and they have their own distractions that can make a bus driver’s job even more difficult. But, if a bus driver can take personal responsibility by limiting his or her own distractions while transporting our children, that would help keep our children a little safer.

One viewer commented saying, “Thank you for getting my children to and from school every day.” I’m guessing most bus drivers have never heard those words. So from me, thank you for what you do and maybe this story could just be a reminder of how important your job really is to all of us in the community.

Below is Ronnie’s last report on the issue.

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Thanks for your input and for watching.
-Billau