Maryland CDL School Bus Test key terms

A required check of the school bus before each trip covering brakes, lights, tires, mirrors, emergency exits, and passenger items, documented to confirm the vehicle is safe to carry students.

The walk-through of the bus after every route to confirm no student remains aboard and to check for damage, lost items, or mechanical problems before the bus is secured.

A deliberate end-of-route sweep of every seat and the aisle to ensure no child is left asleep on the bus, often supported by a reminder tag or alarm system.

The dangerous outcome in which a student stays on a parked school bus unnoticed; it is prevented by disciplined post-trip sweeps and is a leading cause of heat-stroke deaths in buses.

The written record a driver completes each day listing defects found and repairs made; many states require it to be filed and available for review by inspectors and supervisors.

A defect serious enough that the bus must not be driven with students aboard, such as faulty brakes, a broken stop arm, or an inoperative warning light.

The hinged, usually red sign that swings out from the left side of the bus to warn traffic to stop while students are boarding or leaving.

The alternately flashing warning lamps on the front and rear of a school bus that signal traffic to stop because students are about to enter or exit the roadway.

The yellow flashing lamps a driver activates in advance of a stop to alert nearby traffic that the bus is preparing to load or unload students.

A convex mirror mounted at the front of the bus that lets the driver see the area directly ahead and below the hood, where small children may stand out of view.

A side mirror that shows a true, undistorted image of the traffic lane beside and behind the bus, used with convex mirrors for a complete view.

The area around a school bus, roughly ten feet in every direction, where children are hardest for the driver to see and where most loading-zone injuries occur.

The designated place where students board or leave the bus, chosen so they do not have to cross traffic and so the driver has clear sight lines in both directions.

A fixed location established by the district where the bus halts to pick up or drop off students, with an approved approach, sight distance, and turning plan.

The standard sequence of stopping, setting the brake, activating warning lights, counting students, and signaling them to cross, performed the same way at every stop.

The driver's arm gesture that tells students it is safe to cross the road in front of the bus, given only after traffic has stopped and the driver has checked all mirrors.

The routine for letting students off the bus: stopping, securing the vehicle, activating lights and stop arm, counting students as they exit, and confirming they are clear before moving.

A tally of riders taken at boarding and at drop-off so the driver can confirm that every student who got on the bus has been accounted for.

The instruction that students must walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus and cross only on the driver's signal, never behind the bus or between parked vehicles.

The legal and professional responsibility of the driver to maintain order on the bus, using calm verbal direction and reporting serious misconduct rather than physical punishment.

A written set of expectations, rewards, and consequences for bus behavior that the driver applies consistently and explains to students at the start of the year.

A written report of a student's misconduct submitted to school administrators, usually after repeated or serious incidents, that can lead to loss of riding privileges.

The practice of keeping the driver's attention on the road by limiting conversation, managing loud behavior, and pulling over safely when a dispute needs intervention.

A driver's planned placement of students in specific seats to separate troublemakers, support students with special needs, and keep the aisle and exits clear.

Repeated aggressive behavior among students aboard the bus that the driver must interrupt, document, and report, since the vehicle is an extension of the school campus.

Any place where a public road crosses railroad tracks at the same level, requiring the school bus driver to stop, look, and listen before proceeding.

The mandatory procedure at a grade crossing: stop the bus, open the door or window to hear, look both ways, and proceed only when certain no train is coming.

The space needed beyond the tracks before entering a crossing, so the entire bus can clear the rails without stopping and without being trapped by traffic ahead.

Warning devices at a crossing that do not move, such as crossbucks, pavement markings, and advance warning signs, which the driver must still treat as a stop requirement.

Automated devices such as flashing lights, bells, and gates that warn of an approaching train; drivers must obey them even if no train appears.

The ordered removal of students from a bus during a fire, crash, or other hazard, using designated exits and a practiced sequence that keeps students together at a safe distance.

Any door, window, roof hatch, or rear exit marked for escape from the bus, which must be checked during inspection and shown to students during drills.

A scheduled practice in which students rehearse leaving the bus through front, rear, and side exits so they can act quickly and calmly in a real emergency.

The PASS method of aiming and squeezing a bus extinguisher at the base of a small fire while keeping an escape route open; students are evacuated first.

The stocked medical kit that must be aboard every school bus, checked during inspection, and used only for basic care until emergency responders arrive.

The call to dispatch, police, fire, or EMS that gives location, number of students, injuries, and hazards so help can reach the scene quickly.

The steps after a collision: secure the scene, check students, call for help, account for everyone, and avoid moving injured riders unless there is immediate danger.