The four-year-old boy hit by a car in Waihi Beach yesterday remains in a stable condition in a Waikato Hospital children's ward today, a hospital spokesperson says.
Waikato Police say a driver's caution probably meant the boy did not suffer life threatening injuries or worse.
District Road Policing Manager Inspector Freda Grace said emergency services were called to Seaforth Rd about 3.45pm.
"The matter is still under investigation but initial indications are that a mother and her four-year-old son were waiting for an older brother to get off the school bus and head home," she said.
"Instead of getting off at the normal stop the older boy stayed onboard the bus so when it looped around and he got off, he was on the opposite side of the road. It looks like as the bus has driven off the younger boy has darted across the road to be with his brother."
Unfortunately for the younger boy, he ran in front of an oncoming car but because the driver was thinking there may be children crossing the road, he had dropped his speed.
"As a result of being struck by the car the four-year-old suffered non-life threatening injuries but he was airlifted to Waikato Hospital as a precaution where he is described today as being in a stable condition."
Mrs Grace said because the bus had driven off, the legal speed limit of 20km/h when passing a school bus picking up or dropping off children did not apply but in situations like this Police urge drivers to be aware of the risks posed by children who could easily be distracted.
"It's likely that had the driver not taken precautions we could have been dealing with something far worse and we believe other drivers could learn from this motorist's example.
"Using the road socially is all about thinking about the "what ifs" for those who can't. What if that child runs out on the road, what if that elderly person hasn't seen me coming. It's all about sharing road space in a way where it's a community, a community that looks out for one another on the road."