Unloading Into a Four-Lane Road With a Center Turn Lane
At 3:35 p.m., bus #31 is eastbound on a four-lane road with a two-way center left-turn lane and a 45 mph speed limit. The driver is stopped at Elm and Fifth to let three of 11 remaining students off. The red school-bus lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended. The door is still closed and the three students are seated. A westbound pickup truck is approaching at about 45 mph and shows no sign of slowing; the driver can see its front end dip as if the driver is braking late. The stop is a regular afternoon stop, and the students normally cross about 10 feet in front of the bus to reach the west side of the road. There is no median or physical barrier, only the painted center turn lane. The driver has a radio and a route sheet with dispatch's number.
1. May the driver open the door and signal the three students to cross while the pickup is approaching? Explain.
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No. The driver's first duty is to keep students on the bus until it is safe to discharge them. The painted center left-turn lane is not a physical median, so the road is not a divided highway for this purpose; traffic from both directions is expected to stop for the bus's red lights. But the pickup driver's legal duty does not protect students if that driver fails to stop. Opening the door and signaling would invite the students into the path of a truck that is not slowing. The driver should keep the door closed, keep the students seated, and wait. If the truck passes the red lights, the driver should note the plate and description, report it to dispatch, and consider requesting police enforcement or a safer stop location.
2. After the truck passes, what sequence should the driver follow before the students cross?
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First, re-scan both directions and confirm that approaching traffic has actually stopped, not just slowed. Make eye contact with drivers if possible. Then open the door and signal the students only when the bus is secure and the stop arm and red lights are on. Students should cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus so the driver can see them, and they should cross together or as directed, never behind the bus. The driver counts the three students as they leave, watches them reach the far side, and does not move the bus until they are clear. If any vehicle fails to stop, keep the students on the bus and repeat the wait; do not wave them across.
3. What should the driver do about the recurring problem of the opposite-direction pickup if it happens again?
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Document the time, location, direction, plate if obtainable, and what happened. Report it to the transportation supervisor and, if the district has a procedure, to local police. The supervisor can request enforcement at the stop or review whether the stop should be relocated to a side street, a driveway, or the same side of the road so students do not cross the four-lane road. The driver should not change the stop unilaterally or stop using the red lights. If the location remains unsafe, the district may need an adult crossing guard or a different route design.