Bakersfield City School District bus driver Luis Lopez recently took home the second place trophy for the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition.
- It was his first time competing, representing the state against 50 other expert drivers from across the U.S. and Canada.
- The competition testing their knowledge on safety standards, experience, and driving skills including maneuver’s not taught in California.
From 2012 to 2021, there were a more than 335,000 deadly traffic crashes, according to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Association. Out of all of those, less than one percent were related to school buses.
A big part of that is due to the rigorous training school bus drivers go through to prepare to keep your children safe.
“It’s been a really cool ride,” said Luis Lopez, who just took second-place at the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition.
Lopez is a master behind the wheel, at least, that’s according to the National School Transportation Association.
“I take a lot of pride in what I do,” he said.
Lopez has been a school bus driver for 10 years now, the last five at the Bakersfield City School District.
It was his first time competing, representing the state against 50 other expert drivers from across the U.S. and Canada. The competition testing their knowledge on safety standards, experience, and driving skills including maneuver’s not taught in California.
“There's this particular event called the straight line,” Lopez said. “So this is a maneuver that I had to learn going into this competition.”
He explained the straight line is a move the tests a drivers perception, testing the driving to align the bus with ground reference at a particular angle.
For Lopez, when he’s behind the wheel he thinks about his three children.
“Do they treat their bus drivers right?”
“They should I remind them every day to be respectful,” he said.
He also thinks about how he’d want their drivers to act.
“I think what we teach is also to anticipate. You have to predict and anticipate other people's movements before they even do them.”
At a time when traffic crashes occur on nearly a daily basis, Lopez said it’s important not only for bus drivers to be able to maneuver the road, but for drivers to be mindful of each other and school buses.
“Be respectful. You see a big yellow school bus, many slow down knowing that that could be your your child, your nephew, your grandson, behind the wheel of that school bus,” he said.
Lopez not only surpassed dozens of other drivers, but after 10 different events he only placed second to the six-time reigning champion.
Now he’s not only taking home a trophy, but he’s taking his skills and what he’s learned and sharing it with trainees to ensure the safety of children throughout his district.
“So they could be the best that they could possibly be,” he said. “It’s exciting, I love it.”
Lopez said he also wants to thank his district and mentors who helped him get to the level he’s at as a driver and an instructor.
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