Vehicle Controls, Braking, and Handling Characteristics
Buses and passenger vans handle very differently from cars, and questions test your understanding of why. Key concepts: longer stopping distances from weight, higher center of gravity that increases rollover risk in turns, off-tracking (rear wheels cut inside the front wheels' path), and tail swing (the rear of the bus swings outward in the opposite direction when you turn). You must understand air brakes if equipped, including the lag between pedal application and brake force, and the danger of brake fade on long downgrades.
Control techniques: use progressive shifting and engine braking on downgrades rather than riding the brakes, brake early and smoothly, and slow down before curves rather than braking in them. Use your mirrors and understand blind spots; a bus has large ones. When turning, swing wide enough to keep the rear wheels off the curb, and watch tail swing at the front of the turn. Manage speed for the load-a full bus stops more slowly than an empty one.
Traps: assuming a bus can brake like a car, forgetting tail swing when pulling away from a curb, and thinking off-tracking only matters on right turns (it affects left turns too). Another trap is relying on retarders or engine brakes on slick surfaces where they can cause a drive-axle skid.
Rule of thumb: slow to the proper speed before the curve, and remember the rear of the bus tracks inside and swings outside. Worked example: turning right at a tight corner, you must swing left first so the rear wheels clear the curb-but check that tail swing does not strike a pole or pedestrian on the left.