Drivers display skills in annual Safety Road-e-o

ONA -- For a school bus driver, keeping your skills sharp is crucial. But it can also be fun.

Cabell County Schools hosted the Southeastern School Bus Safety Road-e-o on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning at Cabell Midland High School. Thirty-three drivers from West Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Alabama and Kentucky competed in the event, which rewards the top drivers with trophies and cash prizes. But the competition also gives the drivers practice, as they completed a driving course with 12 different obstacles.

"It sharpens your skills," said Cabell County bus driver David Washington, who was competing in his second consecutive regional Road-e-o.

Washington was one of five Cabell drivers to qualify for the competition. Cabell County Schools Transportation Director Patty Pauley said the extra training the drivers get is more important than winning.

"As you drive through the course, it makes you so much more aware of where the bus is in relationship to the outside environment," Pauley said. "And it shows your strengths and weaknesses. It makes you a better driver."

Challenges included parallel parking, railroad crossing, student loading and offset alley, among a handful of others. In some events, drivers were scored on how close or far away they were from the curb, while others included scoring on driver procedure.

Rebecca Brooks from Greenville, Ky., said although the course can be quite difficult, it's driving another county's bus that presents the biggest challenge. Washington said he felt that way about last year's event in Alabama because their buses were older than Cabell County's.

Cabell's other drivers were John Labus, who finished ninth with 570 points, Travis Prichard, David Templeton and Joey Goodpaster, who finished sixth with 580 points. Harrison County, W.Va., drivers Ed Rollins and David Riffle finished first and second, earning 615 and 601 points, respectively. They earned $500 and $300, while Pike County, Ky., driver David Price took home $100 for finishing third with 593 points.