School Bus Stop With Crossing Students
You drive a 72-passenger school bus on a two-lane rural road with a 45 mph speed limit. At 7:40 a.m., six students are waiting on the right shoulder, and one of them must cross the road from the left. You activate the amber warning lights about 200 feet before the stop. A pickup truck is following about 100 feet behind. As you stop and open the door, the student on the left steps into the road, and a second student on the right drops a book in the roadway and bends down to pick it up. The road is straight, daylight is clear, and there is no crossing guard. The students are elementary age. You have already set the parking brake and placed the transmission in neutral.
1. What is the correct sequence for unloading the students who must cross, and how do you control the danger zone?
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Stop with the bus positioned so the students have a clear path, set the parking brake, place the transmission in neutral or park, and open the door to activate the red lights. Check traffic in both directions and the mirrors before signaling. Keep the students on the shoulder until you give a hand signal; then have them cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus, where you can see them, and never behind it. Count them as they leave and as they reach the other side. The danger zone is the area close around the bus; do not let students walk in it until all traffic is stopped and you are watching.
2. What do you do about the dropped book?
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Keep the red lights on and signal the student to leave the book and continue out of the roadway. Do not let a child bend down in the danger zone or go back for an object. If the book is in a traffic lane, secure the bus first, check that traffic is stopped, and retrieve it yourself only if you can stay visible and safe; otherwise leave it and report it later. The priority is getting every student clear of the roadway and accounting for them before you move.
3. The pickup does not slow. What actions and follow-up?
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Sound the horn and use a clear hand signal to stop the students; keep them on the shoulder or bus and do not let them enter the roadway until the pickup has passed. Do not chase the pickup or block it with the bus. Once the students are safe, record the plate number, time, location, and direction if you can do so without delaying the route, and report the incident to your dispatcher and the school district. If the vehicle is still a threat, stay stopped and request law enforcement.