Veteran school bus drivers Michael Dixon and Jimmy Poole took the top two placements in the Fayette County School Bus Safety Competition, also known as the “Road-e-o,” and will represent the school system in the state safety competition in June.
Dixon, who placed first, is no stranger to the state competition. He placed tenth last year, as well as in 2013. Poole, who took second place, also has experience competing at the state level. He represented Fayette at the competition in 2011, finishing in third place.
A total of 17 drivers participated in the county competition. Additional winners include Mary Catherine Domaleski, who took third place, and Erick Jefferson, who received the rookie award.
Dixon and Poole will saddle up against each other, and other top school bus drivers from across the state, at the 38th annual Georgia Road-e-o taking place in Warner Robins June 8-9. The Pupil Transportation Safety Competition Foundation sponsors the Road-e-o, which consists of an obstacle course that tests a driver’s ability to maneuver a school bus through various driving challenges, and a written exam.
The 12th annual Georgia Special Education School Bus Road-e-o took place at the end of April in Warner Robins with the school bus driver and monitor team of Christopher Hausser and Carolyn Hausser placing first, and advancing to the 2016 National Special Education School Bus Road-e-o in Fresco, Texas. A total of 17 teams competed in the state event.
The special needs safety competition is similar to the regular Road-e-o with some exceptions. Drivers and monitors work together as a team, and they take the written exam online prior to the driving portion of the competition. The driving course is setup based on the traditional Road-e-o course, which includes the serpentine, alley dock backing, and railroad crossing events, but with a twist. Drivers are faced with challenging student passengers, and are graded on how effectively they handle students with emotional, intellectual, and physical disabilities as the “act out” on the bus.
Although both Road-e-os are competitive, the primary purpose is learning. Both events provide drivers with hands-on opportunities to learn new safety procedures, and to hone the driving skills needed to transport students safely.
