Safe Driving Practices for Buses and Passenger Vehicles
Physics you must respect
A bus is long, heavy, and top-heavy. Three consequences drive most exam questions. First, braking distance grows with weight and passenger load, so you brake earlier and smoother than you would in a car. Second, the center of gravity is high: slow down before a curve, not in it, and avoid hard braking while turning or you invite a rollover. Third, off-tracking - the rear wheels track inside the front wheels, so a right turn can clip a curb, a sign, or a pedestrian on the right. Swing wide enough to clear, but not so wide that you cross into oncoming lanes, and watch the right mirror through the entire turn.
Following distance and clearance
Use one second per ten feet of vehicle length below 40 mph, and add one second above 40 mph. A 40-foot bus therefore needs four seconds at city speeds and five on the highway. Know your height and never assume an underpass, canopy, or low limb will clear you. Select a low gear before a downgrade rather than riding the brakes.
Traps
- "Buses stop in about the same distance as cars" - false.
- "Swing into the left lane before every right turn" - only as needed; crossing the center line is a fail.
Rule of thumb: one second per ten feet - count it out loud until it is automatic.