Afternoon Stop on a Two-Lane Road With an Approaching Motorist
At 3:35 p.m. you are driving a 72-passenger conventional school bus on a straight two-lane road posted 45 mph. Fourteen students are aboard, and the next required stop is a private driveway on the right where three students get off. A pickup truck is 350 feet behind you and closing at about 50 mph. You activate the amber warning lights 200 feet before the driveway. The pickup does not slow. The driveway sits just past a shallow crest, and the road has no paved shoulder. Two students stand up and move toward the door as the bus slows; another asks whether the parent waiting across the road will walk over. It is dry and still daylight. You must control the stop, the students, and the overtaking motorist before anyone steps off the bus.
1. List the actions from the amber warning lights through the moment the first student leaves the bus. Explain why each action is ordered that way.
Read the worked answer
Keep the amber lights on and slow gradually. Do not activate the red lights and stop arm until the bus is stopped at the driveway and you have checked that following traffic is under control. The pickup is the deciding factor: at 50 mph and 350 feet back, it will close in about five seconds, so opening the door early would invite a passing violation while students are in the danger zone.
Stop with the right wheels close to the edge, set the parking brake, place the transmission in park or neutral as required, and keep the door closed. Tell the students to sit down and stay seated. Watch the pickup in the left and right mirrors. Only after it either stops or passes, and the road is clear in both directions, should you open the door, activate the red lights and stop arm, and signal the students. This sequence keeps the children out of the 10-foot danger zone until the hazard is resolved.
2. The pickup passes the bus on the left while your red lights are on. What do you do before letting the three students off, and what do you do about the violation?
Read the worked answer
The pass is a violation, but your first duty is to keep the students on the bus. Leave the door closed and motion the students back to their seats. Do not step into the roadway or chase the truck. Record the plate number, vehicle description, direction of travel, time, and location, and report it to dispatch and local police when it is safe to do so.
After the truck is well past and your mirrors show no approaching hazard, complete the stop. If the three students exit on the right, have them move at least 10 feet away from the bus and wait; if one must cross to the parent, have that student wait for your hand signal, walk in front of the bus at least 10 feet ahead, and look both ways. The parent's wave is not a signal to cross.
3. What do you tell the parent and students about crossing, and when would you cancel or relocate the stop?
Read the worked answer
Tell the parent and students that the driver controls the crossing. The parent should stay across the road and not call the children over; the students should wait for your signal. If the parent creates confusion, ask them to move back from the roadway.
Cancel or relocate the stop only if the roadside is unsafe, for example no place to stand clear of traffic, a recurring passing problem, or a hazard that prevents you from seeing approaching vehicles. In that case, keep the students aboard, continue to a safer point, and notify dispatch and the school. Do not let a schedule or a parent's request override the danger-zone rule.