‘We carry the most precious cargo in the world’: Central Illinois group stressing the importance of bus safety

TUSCOLA, Ill. (WCIA) — Millions of students across the country ride a yellow school bus to class every day. During National School Bus Safety Week, one group in Central Illinois is reminding everyone of ways to make the trip safer.

Gould and Wilson Transportation serves Tuscola, Arcola, and Oakland. They have driven kids to and from school for over 50 years.

More than 100 people died nationwide in 2023 in school bus-related crashes.

It’s why it’s Gould and Wilson Transportation’s goal to spread awareness and keep their kids safe.

“We carry the most precious cargo there is in the world, and it’s our kids,” Shane Gould, the President of Gould and Wilson Transportation, said.

They take 2,000 kids to and from school every day.

Gould is both the president of Gould and Wilson Transportation, as well as a bus driver. He said that during this year’s Bus Safety Week, there’s one common mistake drivers make that’s in the forefront of his mind: running the stop arms.

“They don’t even see us,” Gould added

Another bus driver at Gould and Wilson seconded that.

“The stop arm comes out, the red lights… some people will stop a half mile back because they see it, other people, like Shane said earlier, they’ll stop halfway through or just blow right through like we’re not even there,” Brent Wilson, Vice President of Gould and Wilson Transportation, said.

Gould said that it happens 380,000 times every day in the United States.

“It’s extremely dangerous. You’re taking the chance of maybe mowing over a kid,” Gould said.

Despite dangers like that, school buses still are the best option for students. Gould added that a school bus is the safest way for kids to get to and from school. In fact, the only mode of transportation safer than a school bus, is an elevator.

“Kids are 75 times more safe in a school bus than they are your family car,” Gould shared.

He said that the buses are built to take an impact and they’re sturdier. Additionally, the drivers are very well trained, they do continued education monthly at Gould and Wilson. Gould said they train this often to keep their kids out of harm’s way.

“I have 43 kids on my bus route that I do. I love every one of them, I would do anything in the world for any of them,” Gould said.

It’s why bus safety goes beyond just these seven days.

“It’s not just this one week that it’s important, it’s all 52 weeks,” Wilson said.

Their message this week? When you see red lights flashing, don’t go passing.

They said that if you see the stop arm extended and the red lights, you should stop at least 15 feet away from the bus.