Morning Stop with a Rolling Approach Car
At 7:12 a.m., you are driving a 72-passenger school bus eastbound on a two-lane county road with a posted 40 mph limit. Twelve students are aboard. You stop for a 9-year-old waiting on the left shoulder, deploy the stop arm, and turn on the red loading lights. The child steps to the edge but has not entered the roadway. The bus is 10 feet from the child's shoulder. In your right mirror, a pickup is approaching from behind at what looks like 35-40 mph and is not visibly slowing; it is about 70 feet back. An oncoming sedan is 180 feet ahead and slowing. The road is straight, dry, and marked with a double yellow line. Your route sheet says this stop has had two prior red-light violations this semester.
1. In the next five seconds, should you signal the child to cross? Explain what you check and why.
Read the worked answer
No. Keep the child at the shoulder with a palm-out hand signal; do not wave. The pickup is 70 feet back at 35-40 mph, roughly 1.2-1.4 seconds away, and is not visibly slowing. A stop arm and red lights do not physically stop traffic. New Jersey requires approaching drivers to stop at least 25 feet from a school bus with red lights flashing, but you must assume a violator until the vehicle actually stops. Check both directions, your mirrors, and the child's position. Signal only when the pickup has stopped or passed, the oncoming sedan is stopped, and you can see the child's face and the path is clear. Keep the service door closed until then if there is any risk the child will step out. The prior violations at this stop are a warning, not a reason to hurry.
2. The pickup passes the stopped bus at 40 mph without stopping. What immediate and follow-up actions do you take?
Read the worked answer
Do not move the bus or let the child cross. Keep the child on the shoulder and watch the road; if the child had already entered the roadway, use the horn and direct the child back. Once the pickup is clear, recheck both directions before signaling the child. Record the plate, time, direction, and vehicle description only when you can do so safely without releasing the parking brake or distracting from the students. Notify dispatch and police after the stop is secured, and complete an incident report. Do not pursue the vehicle. After loading, count the students and sweep the danger zones before moving.
3. What final checks and student count must be completed before you release the parking brake?
Read the worked answer
Count the 12 students after they are seated; if the count is wrong, do not move. Sweep the mirrors and turn your head to check the front, rear, and both sides out to at least 10 feet. Confirm the service door is closed, the stop arm is retracted, and the red loading lights are off. Check that no child is stooping near a wheel, crossing behind the bus, or standing in the aisle. Only then release the parking brake and proceed slowly, rechecking the left mirror for the passed pickup.