Falling asleep at the wheel nearly caused one driver to collide with a school bus on Friday afternoon.

“Someone was having a hard time staying awake at the wheel. They were dozing off,” said Staff Sergeant Darren Simons of the Carlyle RCMP Detachment.

Bus driver Blaize Maygard, however, used defensive driving to save the day for his 15 passengers.

“The bus driver noticed someone was having difficulty staying in their lane. He slowed to we believe approximately 40 kilometres an hour,” explained Simons. “When he realized the vehicle was coming towards him again, he drove into the ditch to avoid the collision. So, by his defensive driving, he avoided what could have been a serious collision.”

Simons said the truck driver reported himself to the police, admitting that he was the one who had nearly caused a collision.

“We didn’t have enough description of the vehicle to know who it was, so if it wasn’t for his honesty, we probably would have never found out who was involved,” he said.

The driver of the truck was issued a ticket for Driving With Undue Care and Attention.

Simons noted the students were from the Arcola School and they were heading to Pheasant Rump First Nation.

Those students, as well as the relieved parents, teachers and community, have defensive driving to thank for sparing them all what could have been a potentially tragic situation. Instead, Friday’s event serves as a reminder that defensive driving isn’t just about following traffic rules.

“I always tell people, just because you have a green light, doesn’t mean it’s good to go,” said Simons. “You gotta look left and right in case there’s an emergency vehicle or someone that’s not paying attention.”

More information on defensive driving can be found HERE.