Basic Control of Your Vehicle
What the exam tests
Smooth acceleration, steering, stopping, and backing a large passenger vehicle under control.
Core rules
- Hold the wheel with both hands, outside the spokes. Use hand-over-hand steering for sharp turns.
- Start smoothly; accelerate gradually so standing or seated students are not thrown off balance.
- Brake early and gently. Use controlled braking; do not pump air brakes unless the manufacturer requires it.
- Make wider turns than a car. Swing wide enough to clear the rear wheels, but do not cross into oncoming lanes.
- Watch tail swing: the rear of a school bus swings outward in a turn.
- Backing: use GOAL - get out and look. Use a spotter when available; back slowly; if you lose sight of the spotter, stop.
- Use mirrors continuously when backing; do not rely on a backup camera alone.
- Stop with the front bumper at the stop line so students and traffic can see you.
Worked example
You must back from a narrow school driveway into a two-lane road. Get out and check the path, use a spotter behind the bus, back at walking speed, and stop immediately if the spotter disappears from the mirror. Reasoning: a bus has large rear blind spots; backing without a clear path risks crushing a child or a parked vehicle.
Traps that cost marks
Steering with one hand; oversteering and then correcting; backing on mirrors alone; turning too tight and clipping the curb; braking hard with students standing.