Afternoon Stop with a Running Student and a Non-Stopping Car
At 3:10 p.m. you are driving a 47-passenger school bus with 47 elementary students aboard. Your route stop is on a two-lane road with a 45 mph limit in a Salem suburb. The bus is stopped in the right lane with red lights flashing and the stop arm extended. The sun is low and straight ahead, and the road curves slightly left just before the stop. A parent has parked an SUV on the opposite shoulder, narrowing the students' path. Two students are waiting on the shoulder instead of the sidewalk; one begins running toward the bus before the door opens. An oncoming car is approaching at about 45 mph and has not slowed. A car behind you is also closing. Your aide called in sick, so you are alone. The students are noisy and several are unbuckling.
1. What do you do before opening the door?
Read the worked answer
Keep the door closed and the students on the bus until you have control of the scene. The running student must be stopped: use a clear hand signal and a firm voice to send the student back to the sidewalk or shoulder, but do not open the door. Check your mirrors: the oncoming car at 45 mph is the critical threat, and the car behind is closing. If the oncoming car does not show signs of stopping, sound the horn and keep the red lights on. Do not let any student cross until both directions of traffic have stopped. Because the aide is absent, you must personally control the crossing; do not delegate to a student. If the parent's SUV blocks the path, wait rather than route students around it into traffic.
2. Once traffic stops, what crossing procedure do you use, and how do you account for the students?
Read the worked answer
After traffic stops, open the door and signal the students to cross only when you can see them and they can see you. Students should cross in front of the bus, far enough ahead to be seen, and wait for your hand signal before stepping into the lane. Count them as they board and count again once seated. The two students on the shoulder should be moved back to the sidewalk before the bus moves. Because the road curves and the sun is low, make a second mirror check for cars that may have passed the stop arm. Do not use the horn as a boarding signal; use a clear hand motion. If a student refuses to follow the crossing procedure, keep the bus stopped and address it before moving.
3. The oncoming car passes the stop arm without stopping. What do you do now?
Read the worked answer
If the oncoming car passes the stop arm, do not chase or confront the driver. Keep the students back and record the plate, vehicle description, time, and location; report the violation to dispatch and, if required by local procedure, to law enforcement. Check that no student stepped out. After the car has passed, re-check both directions and resume the crossing only when the road is clear. The violation is not a reason to rush students. Complete a written report at the end of the route. If the same car is seen repeatedly, dispatch should be told so the route can be adjusted or police notified.