VPS bus driver gets high marks for safety

Bagley Downs — Duane Peterson can now say he’s one of the safest school bus drivers in the country after placing seventh at an annual driving competition this month. The Vancouver Public Schools employee was the first district driver to represent the state at the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition on July 20-21 in Tulsa, Okla. Peterson was pitted against 28 other drivers from the U.S. and Canada; they took written tests and proved their mettle on the road in a number of “bus rodeo” events that simulated the common challenges of driving a big, yellow vehicle. Only those who were accident-free for the prior school year could enter.