California Vehicle Code section 22112 requires the driver to escort students in prekindergarten through grade 8 who must cross, using an approved hand-held STOP sign, and they cross in front of the bus. A child crossing behind the bus is somewhere the driver cannot see.
Red lights and an extended stop arm tell drivers to stop, but they cannot make every driver obey. Take one last look to confirm that traffic has actually stopped before you open the door completely and signal students to come.
The red lights and the stop arm are the signals that require other traffic to stop, so they go on right after the bus is secured in Park or Neutral with the parking brake set, before any student moves. The amber lights are meant for the approach, and rushing students on or off would skip these protections.
A student who bends down for a dropped item, or goes back for it, can vanish from the driver's view inside a danger zone at the worst possible moment. The student should leave the object, move to a safe place where you can see them, and let you get it.
Never back up a school bus to reach a stop you missed, and do not choose a new drop-off point on your own. Contact the dispatcher and follow your district's procedure, since a stop may be moved only with official approval.
Each school district sets the official bus routes and stop locations. A driver may never relocate a stop unless the proper district official has approved the change in writing.
At each pickup stop, count the students who are waiting and confirm that all of them get on, boarding slowly in single file. Do not move the bus until every student is aboard and seated.
Both belong to a safe approach. The alternating flashing amber lights go on at least 200 feet, or about 5 to 10 seconds, before the stop unless state law says otherwise, and you keep scanning every mirror for students, vehicles, and other hazards in the danger zones.
Students can step into a danger zone at any moment, so the mirrors must be watched the whole time children are getting on or off, not just at the end. Checking only before pulling away could miss a child who has wandered close to the bus.
After students have cleared the unloading area, walk the bus to make sure no child stayed behind asleep or hiding; the same walk-through is a chance to spot vandalism, mechanical damage and forgotten items. Getting students to class and contacting parents are not part of the driver's unloading checks.
The missing student could be next to or beneath the bus, so the bus must not be able to move while you search. Secure it, carry the ignition key so no one can start it, and check all around and underneath before going on.
A student who needs to cross should walk to a spot ahead of the bus where student and driver can see each other, stop there, and wait for the driver's signal. Only then does the student walk across, without running, while staying in the driver's view.
Amber lights belong to the approach, not to the time after the bus has stopped. Once the bus is stopped and secured in Park or Neutral with the parking brake set, the alternating red lights go on and the stop arm is extended, and only then do students start to move.
Setting the parking brake and switching on the red lights happen earlier in the stop. The final step is another look at traffic, because some motorists do not stop even when a school bus shows flashing red lights.
Students who walk 10 feet or more from the side of the bus are out of the driver's blind areas and can all be seen and counted before the bus moves. Behind the bus or right next to the door, a child may be hidden from the driver.
Students who must cross go to a spot at least 10 feet in front of the right front corner of the bumper, where the driver can see them, and wait for the driver's signal before crossing in front of the bus. They never cross behind the bus, where the driver cannot see them.
When approaching a stop, the CDL manual tells school bus drivers to move as far to the right as possible while staying on the traveled part of the road. Drifting left or holding the middle of the lane leaves the bus farther from the curb where students wait.
Even with the unloading area clear, a child may still be on board, asleep or hiding behind a seat. Walking the length of the bus to look for students and for anything left behind makes sure no one is left alone on a parked bus.
Having students stand 10 to 15 feet clear of the bus's side moves them out of the danger zone and gives you a chance to count them before you pull away. The exact distance can vary by state.
The real danger with a dropped item is that a student stops or turns back near the bus and drops out of the driver's sight at the worst moment. Teaching students to leave the object, get out of the danger zones, and alert the driver keeps them visible and safe.
Count students as they get off and again once they are clear of the bus. If one is unaccounted for, secure the bus so it cannot move, keep the key with you and check carefully around and under the bus before doing anything else; never drive off assuming the child has left.
A child who dozed off or hid under a seat could end up locked in the parked bus and be hurt, so after the unload the driver must personally walk the aisle and look at every seat. This check is the driver's duty and cannot be handed off to a student.
A student who has slipped out of sight may be right beside or under the bus, the worst place to be if it moves. Make the bus impossible to move by securing it and taking the key, then look carefully all around and underneath before going anywhere.
The walk-through after school unloading is for finding anything students forgot and, above all, any child who fell asleep or is hiding, before the bus is secured. Watching for students returning to the bus is done with the mirrors, not by walking the aisle.
More students are killed while getting on or off a school bus than while riding inside it. That is why loading and unloading demand the driver's closest attention.
The space right beside a school bus is a danger zone where the driver may not see a child. Students who walk 10 to 15 feet or more out from the bus's side are where the driver can see them clearly, and those who must cross the road do so in front of the bus, never behind it.
Flashing red lights and an extended stop arm do not guarantee that every driver will stop. One final look to confirm that traffic has halted, before the door is fully opened and students are signaled, keeps them from walking into the path of a car that did not stop.
Shifting into Park or Neutral, setting the parking brake and turning on the red lights all come earlier; the very last step is to confirm that every vehicle has actually stopped, because some drivers ignore a school bus's flashing red lights. Only then should you open the door fully and signal students to approach.
At the school unloading area, students should stay seated until the driver says it is time to get off, which keeps the exit orderly and lets the driver watch each one leave. The bus should be secured with the engine shut off, and no one should head for the door while it is still rolling.
Students who have left the bus should be 10 feet or more from its side, where the driver can see each one and confirm that everyone is clear before the bus moves. A child standing close to the bus may be hidden from the driver's view.
Know how many students are waiting at the stop and see that every one of them boards, one at a time, before you pull away. While they board, the bus should sit in Park or Neutral with the parking brake set, never in gear.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
