Passenger Vehicle Driving and Handling
This domain tests smooth control of a heavy, high-center-of-gravity passenger vehicle. The exam looks for space management, turning geometry, braking and grade control, and decisions that keep seated and standing passengers safe.
Handling fundamentals
- Accelerate, steer, and brake gradually. Sudden lane changes or hard braking can throw passengers from seats or off their feet.
- Allow longer stopping distance and following distance than a car; look well ahead and brake early.
- Watch blind spots and clearance. A bus is long and tall; check mirrors before turns, lane changes, and low clearances.
Turns and grades
- Rear wheels off-track inside the front wheels. On a right turn, swing wide enough to keep the rear wheels off the curb, but stay within your lane and check the right mirror.
- Before a long downgrade, select a lower gear and use engine braking. Do not ride the brakes or coast in neutral.
Worked example
A right turn leaves the front path only 2 feet from the curb, and the rear wheels track about 1.5 feet inside that path. Reasoning: the rear may strike the curb. The driver should set up with a wider approach, using the available lane, and check the right mirror through the turn rather than cutting late.
Traps
- Braking late because the bus feels stable.
- Cutting a turn and dragging the rear wheels over the curb.
- Descending in high gear and overheating the brakes.
- Overcorrecting after drifting and unsettling passengers.