EDITORIAL: Pay attention while driving

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, October 9, 2002

It’s hard to miss a big yellow school bus, so maybe that explains how two Oak Harbor motorists drove into buses last week. But it’s unlikely they were aiming for them. We’ll chalk the two accidents up to a fluke of timing. School bus accidents are rare, and two within three days’ time in the same town is hard to believe.

Although a total of 14 children were transported to the hospital in the separate accidents, none were said to be seriously injured. The two buses were rear-ended, resulting in concern about whiplash-type injuries. Emergency responders wisely thought it best to have the children checked out immediately.

Neither school bus driver appeared to be at fault. The buses were stopped and were hit due to inattention by the drivers of the automobiles. It was fortunate that a tragedy did not occur. A second’s inattention might simply dent a bus, but it could also result in serious injury or even worse to a child.

The accidents should serve as reminders to us all to be particularly attentive when a school bus is on the road. Even though they’re big and yellow and have flashing lights and manual “stop” signs, they’re still easy enough to hit if our eyes are not on the road. Always remember that one second of inattention can lead to tragedy and a lifetime of regrets.