Each emergency exit has to be checked: it must be free of damage, work smoothly, and latch securely from inside so passengers can get out quickly when they need to.
Federal safety rules bar recapped or regrooved tires from a bus's front wheels, where a tire failure would most threaten steering control; such tires may be used on the other wheels.
The required items are a fire extinguisher, reflective triangles or other emergency warning devices, and spare fuses for the electrical system, which a bus with circuit breakers does not need. A jack, a spare tire, and accident paperwork are not on that required list.
Every passenger seat must be undamaged and securely fastened to the bus, since a loose or broken seat can injure riders in a sudden stop or crash. Both conditions have to be confirmed.
Three reflective triangles are the usual equipment, but under the current federal rule a bus may carry no fewer than six fusees instead; three or four fusees fall short.
A bus's emergency roof hatches can be latched partly open to bring in fresh air, but they are never to be left wide open; an open hatch also makes the bus taller, so watch your overhead clearance.
Every emergency exit door and window must be closed before the bus moves, and driving with one open, even slightly, is not permitted.
Inspectors can keep a bus from continuing its trip when they find a serious safety defect, for example an emergency exit that is broken or blocked, or exposed electrical wiring that could cause a short circuit or a fire.
The required check covers parts that affect safe operation, such as steering, brakes, tires, wipers, lights and emergency gear, plus the seats, railings and exits inside a bus; an entertainment radio has no bearing on safety, so it is not included.
Part of the interior check is making sure nothing obstructs the aisles or stairwells and that the exit sign on every emergency door is easy to see. Both help passengers move around safely and find their way out quickly in an emergency.
Panels for the luggage bays, restroom servicing and the engine should all be closed and latched before the trip, and any emergency exit found open should be shut, so that nothing swings open while the bus is moving.
An interior check looks for anything that could injure riders or slow an evacuation: loose rails or handholds, damaged flooring, signal devices that do not work (including any restroom emergency buzzer), faulty emergency exit handles, and objects left in the aisles or stairwells.
Every bus needs a fire extinguisher, reflective triangles or other warning devices to set out after an emergency stop, and spare fuses unless its electrical system relies on circuit breakers.
An emergency exit window has to be kept closed any time the bus is rolling. Some roof hatches, by contrast, may be locked partly open for fresh air, so they are not held to the same rule.
A bus must have a fire extinguisher, spare electrical fuses (unless it uses circuit breakers instead) and emergency reflectors. Items such as a hydraulic jack or an accident report kit are not part of that required set.
Recapped or regrooved tires are prohibited on a bus's front wheels, because a front tire failure affects steering and can quickly cause a loss of control.
Drivers for interstate carriers must inspect each bus at the end of the day and give the carrier a written report. It has to note every defect that could compromise safety or result in a breakdown, and if there are none, the report should say so.
Buses are required to have a seat belt for the driver, and the driver should wear it on every trip.
Emergency exit doors and windows must stay shut the whole time the bus is moving, no matter how short the trip is or who asks. An open exit could let a passenger fall from the bus.
An emergency exit door has to remain shut and latched whenever the bus is moving, so it cannot fly open on the road. A red emergency door light, if the bus has one, is turned on at night or whenever the outside lights are on, and the "EMERGENCY EXIT" sign must stay clearly visible.
Before the trip, make sure the coach's restroom is clean and supplied with toilet paper, and that its Vacant/Occupied sign works correctly.
Handholds and railings must be tight, the devices riders use to signal the driver must work, and the emergency exit handles must be secure. Each of these protects passengers who need to hold on, call for a stop, or get out fast.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
