Post-Crash and Emergency Response
The exam tests the first minutes after a crash: securing the scene, protecting students, and reporting. Panic and unnecessary movement cause more harm than the crash itself.
Immediate actions
- Stop, set the parking brake, shut off the engine, and turn on hazard flashers.
- Place reflective triangles if the bus is on a roadway and it is safe to do so.
- Check students for injuries. Do not move an injured person unless there is fire, traffic, or another immediate danger.
- Call 911 and notify dispatch and the school administrator.
- Keep students on the bus if it is safe; evacuate only if staying is more dangerous.
- Do not discuss fault or liability with anyone at the scene.
Reporting
- Exchange information with other drivers and police.
- Complete the district crash report and the driver's written report.
- Preserve the scene and the bus until released.
Worked example
Your bus is rear-ended at a stop. Students are frightened but uninjured. You set the brake, turn on hazards, check the students, call 911, and keep them seated until police say the bus can move. You do not let them off into traffic and you do not move the bus first.
Traps
- Moving injured students.
- Letting students wander near traffic.
- Leaving the scene before police arrive.
- Admitting fault or guessing at causes.