Afternoon Unloading With a Pass-Through and a Running Child
At 3:42 p.m. you are running a 12-student afternoon route on a two-lane road with a 45 mph limit. Your stop is on a slight curve. Four students get off: two live on the right side, and two must cross to the left. You activate your amber lights about 300 feet before the stop, stop with the red lights and stop arm extended, and set the parking brake. A pickup behind you slows, then pulls into the oncoming lane and passes the bus while the stop arm is out. As the first two students reach the door, a 6-year-old brother of one rider runs out of a driveway toward the bus. The pickup is now stopped about 100 feet ahead. You have a radio, a cell phone, and a roster.
1. Before you open the door, what do you do about the passing pickup and the running child?
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Keep the door closed and do not motion any student to cross. The pickup has already shown it will not respect the stop arm, and the child is moving toward the bus, so the safest immediate action is to hold everyone in place. Sound the horn to warn the child and the pickup driver, watch the child until an adult reaches him or he stops, and check both directions again before opening the door. Use the radio to report the pass-through and the child to dispatch. Record the pickup plate, color, direction, and time if you can do so without losing sight of the students. Do not chase the pickup or leave the bus. If the child is still unattended near the roadway, call 911 and keep the door closed until the scene is controlled.
2. Describe the unloading and crossing procedure for the two students who live on the left.
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After traffic in both directions is stopped and you have the pickup situation under control, open the door and let the right-side students off first. For the two who must cross, step into the doorway where they can see you, make eye contact, and give a clear hand signal only when the roadway is clear. They should walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus, cross together, and keep walking away from the bus without stopping in the road. Watch them until they reach the far side. Because the stop is on a curve, your sight distance is limited; if you cannot see enough roadway to control the crossing, do not let them cross. Report the curve hazard and request a same-side stop or a relocated stop from the district.
3. What documentation and follow-up are required for the stop-arm violation?
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Record the time, location, direction of travel, plate number, vehicle description, and what the pickup did, along with the names of any student witnesses. Report it to dispatch and to your supervisor the same day, and provide the information to local law enforcement; Ohio law treats passing a stopped school bus as a serious violation, but the driver should not attempt enforcement. Note that the violation occurred while students were preparing to exit and that a child was running near the roadway, because that affects how the route is reviewed. Ask the district to evaluate the stop for the curve and to consider a same-side drop-off. Also document the child-running incident and notify the parent or guardian through the school so the hazard is addressed.