1. School bus drivers must be physically and mentally competent to operate a school bus.

a. Good driving record

b. No speeding in excess of 15mph
c. Reckless driving
d. Must have acceptable vision
2. If your drivers license is suspended, revoked, or cancelled or you are otherwise unqualified to drive…notify
your employer immediately.
3. The only physical contact you should have with students is… administering first aid and/or evacuating the
bus.
4. A driver can maintain good discipline by...explaining and enforcing the rules with their safety in mind
5. The principal has 5 major responsibilities
a. Assign drivers to buses
b. Establish routes, stops, and turns
c. Assign passengers to buses
d. Ensure that buses are in safe operating condition
e. Appointing monitors as needed
6. The school principal may suspend a pupil for…delaying the bus, tampering with the bus, fighting, smoking.
7. Do not bring dangerous or prohibited items on the bus…such as guns, knives, gasoline, car batteries,
animals, drink bottles or projects too large to be held
8. During the trip…check critical items between trips, such as BRAKES (most important item to check)
9. Before proceeding with your inspection…ensure that the engine is off, the parking brake is set and/or the
wheels are chocked.
10. The FRONT wheel tire must be 4/32 inch tread depth and not recapped, worn evenly without any cuts or
damages
11. REAR Wheels are 2/32 inch tread depth
12. Two pieces of Emergency Equipment are – First-Aid Kit and Fire Extinguisher
13. Seats must not have damaged bottoms or frames and are securely fastened. DO NOT ADD SEATS
14. Emergency Exits- While driving, exits must be closed but not locked or blocked.
15. The following procedure for predriving adjustments and starting the engine…Adjust the seat and mirrors,
fasten the seat belt
16. Oil pressure builds normally, no warning light remains on – CHECK GAUGES
17. The Horn must be audible for at least…200 FT.
18. To Check Air Brakes do the LAB Test. Check for LEAKS, ALARMS, and BUTTON POP-OUT.
19. To Check Parking Brake and Service Brake- check/set the parking brake, shift the transmission to drive,
release the brake pedal and accelerate lightly.
20. Driving- Steer smoothely turning the wheel with a…Hand-over-hand motion.
21. Keep both hands on the steering wheel at…ten and two. Driving with both hands on the steering wheel.
22. The most important rule of following distance is…5 seconds when weather and road conditions are normal
and 10 seconds when conditions are hazardous.
23. Four components of total stopping distance
a. Perception Distance
b. Reaction Distance
c. Brake Lag Distance
d. Effective Braking Distance
24. Perception Distance - 3/4ths of a second
25. Reaction Distance – 3/4ths of a second
26. Brake Lag is…an added delay for the brakes to work after you press the brake pedal – ave ½ second
27. Effective Breaking Distance – a heavy vehicle travelling at 55mph…can take 170ft and 4 and ½ seconds to
brake.
28. With perception, reaction, brake lag, and effective breaking distance- could take 6 and ½ seconds and 322ft
29. A heavy vehicle requires more breaking power to stop than a lighter one.
30. When a vehicle travels twice as fast it increases destructive power by 4times. And 4 times stopping distance
31. To change lanes signal early…check mirrors and blind spots and gradually move into the new lane.
32. At a red light…Do Not Turn Right on Red.
33. To make a safe turn
a. Engage the turn signal 300ft in advance
 b. Slow gradually to 10mph
c. Slow down before entering the turn
34. When backing up a school bus…use your mirrors and back up slowly
35. To help see what is behind you since there are blind spots that your mirrors cannot show you…appoint a
responsible person to be a monitor at the inside rear of the bus.
36. If you are unloading passengers at the turnaround point…unload after turning around.
37. The maximum speed for a school bus is 45mph.
38. The maximum speed on school grounds is 10mph.
39. Drivers of other vehicles must stop…when a school bus is displaying its mechanical stop signal or flashing
red lights and the bus is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging the passengers.
40. If the stop sign, any stop sign light, any warning light, or any passenger stop light on the school bus is
malfunctioning…do not make passenger stops
41. Passenger stop procedure in NC is to…make a smooth stop 15ft short of passengers and open door when
safe.
42. At passenger stop…count, watch and recount students (loading and unloading, outside and inside)
43. The most important thing to check after loading & unloading passengers is to…Check all mirrors from left to
right for students and traffic.
44. School buses (and school activity buses) must stop at all railroad crossings.
45. School buses should…never drive onto a track until you can drive all the way across.’
46. Procedures for parking the school buses
a. Apply the parking brake
b. Turn off all equipment switches
c. Check interior for students, damage, and items left
d. Close windows and roof hatches
47. With low beams you can see ahead about 250ft and with high beams about 350-500ft.
48. When driving at night…use high beams when you are not within 500ft of an approaching vehicle
49. When driving in bad weather use…low beam headlights
50. The road is most dangerous…right after it starts to rain.
51. Hydroplaning is when the tires lift off the road onto a film of water and have little or no traction.
52. To regain control from hydroplaning by releasing the accelerator.
53. Where are you most likely to find a coating of ice? SHADY AREAS
54. Wet ice is much more slippery than ice that is not.
55. When driving on Wet pavement…keep a longer following distance.
56. Drivers errors that will provide a skid…
a. Over-breaking
b. Over-steering
c. Over-accelerating
d. Driving Too Fast
57. In a front wheel skid…the front end tends to go in a straight line regardless of how much you turn the
steering wheel.
58. Going down a long down grade…use lower gears going down a hill than would be required to go up the hill.
59. Snubbing is forceful intermittent braking and is safer than light continual breaking….additionally stay in the
right lane of multi-lane highways and use hazard lights
60. If you are first on the scene of a collision involving other vehicles…park in a safe place, keep the students on
the bus and protect the scene.
61. Most good drivers look…12-15 seconds ahead
62. Check the traffic mirrors every 5-8 seconds
63. Communicate to others with the…horn, headlights, brake lights, turn signals, warning lights and hazard
lights
64. DO NOT DIRECT TRAFFIC- you could be blamed.
65. When you pull off the road and stop, such as with a breakdown…turn on the hazards immediately.
66. A hazard is anyone or anything that can cause an unsafe condition
67. If an oncoming driver has drifted into your lane…moving to your right is best
68. If a tire blows out…keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands at all time.
69. 95% of all collisions are caused by driver error
70. A 12 ounce glass of 5 % beer, 5 ounce glass of 12% wine, 1 ounce shot of 80 proof liquor all have same
effect
71. Only time will sober a driver
72. The first part of the brain affected by controls judgment and self-control
73. Causes of vehicle fires—electrical system short circuits and loose fuel connections
74. Never fuel a bus in an enclosed area or with passengers on the bus
75. With an engine fire…do not open the hood, spray the extinguisher through the grill, radiator, or from the
underside of the vehicle…aim at the source or base of the fire, not the flames
76. Use the emergency door only in an extreme emergency
77. Three breaking systems in air brakes…service brake, parking break, and emergency brake.
78. What applies and releases the brakes when you use the brake pedal during normal driving…the service
brake.
79. The governor controls when the air compressor will pump air into the air storage tanks.
80. Cuts in at 90psi and cuts out at 120psi.
81. The air pressure gauge…tells you how much pressure is in the air storage tank for braking.
82. The safety valve is set to open at 150psi.
83. The Brake pedal controls the air pressure needed to operate the brakes
84. Do not inspect…brake drums, shoes and linings
85. A warning signal you can see must come on before the air pressure in the tanks falls below 60psi.
86. Emergency brakes and parking brakes are held back by air pressure
87. Bring the vehicle to a safe stop right away, while you can control the brakes…when the low air pressure
warning light and buzzer first sound
88. The most often cause failure of the air brake system is…brakes that are out of adjustment.
89. The first air brake system is called the primary system- rear brakes
90. When in park…check the parking brake.
91. Check the service brake…by moving the bus forward slowly.
92. You should brake so you can stay straight maintain steering control and prevent skidding during an
emergency stop.
93. To keep from wheels sliding…use controlled braking.
94. Only us Stab braking on dry surfaces
95. Brakes will fade when they get too hot and lose stopping power due to excess heat…you will have to push
harder on the pedal to get the same stopping power or keep the same speed.
96. If you feel that your brakes are fading…stop as soon as possible.
97. Total stopping distance = perception + reaction + brake lag+ Effective braking distance.
98. Snubbing is safer because…letting up on the brakes from time to time will help keep them from getting to
hot and allow them to cool enough so that they don’t become overheated.
99. Emergency brakes will come on automatically when the air pressure drops into the range of 20 to 45 psi.
100.When parking for a long period of time…decrease the air pressure in the system until the parking brake
knob will no longer stay in, and…use chock blocks if available.
101.Stab breaking is locking the brakes, then releasing them…then repeating

Chapter 8

1. Front tires must not be recapped or regrooved

2. No seats added.
3. Emergency equipment- fire extinguisher, three emergency reflector triangles, and spare electrical fuses
unless equipped with circuit breakers
4. Emergency exits may be locked/latched partially open for fresh air.
5. Most hazardous materials cannot be carried on a bus…however some can if they meet certain conditions
a. Buses may carry small-arms ammunitions labeled- ORM-D.
6. Standing riders must stay behind the 2inch standee line.
7. To see the sides, rear, and interior of your bus, checking for traffic hazards and potential
problems….regularly check the road ahead and scan your mirrors while driving.
8. You may discharge unruly passengers where it would be safe.
9. To have best control of curves…slow to a safe speed before you enter a curve
10. When you use low beams at night, slow down.
11. Driving bus 40ft or less, leave 4 seconds between you and other vehicle
12. Driving bus at 40mph or more, leave at least 5 seconds.
13. Stop your bus between 15 and 50 ft before railroad crossings
14. Stop at drawbridges that do not have a signal light or traffic control attendant. Stop at least 50ft before the
draw of the bridge.
15. Never fuel in a closed building with riders on board.