Checking the battery covers two things: the battery must be held firmly with tight connections, cell caps in place and no excessive corrosion, and the battery box must be secure with its cover or door fastened. Each of the two statements describes a required part of the inspection.
After making sure no students are left aboard, use the post-trip inspection to find mechanical and operating problems, paying special attention to school bus equipment such as the mirrors, flashing warning lamps, and stop arms. How clean the seats or floor look is not what this inspection is for.
On a bus with a wheelchair lift, the inspection includes looking the lift over for leaks, damaged components, and missing parts. The lift must also be completely retracted and securely latched, not left partway out.
When the engine is shut off, the system sets off an alarm that can only be silenced from the back of the bus. Walking there makes the driver check every seat for a child who fell asleep or stayed on board.
The inspection should show that the entry door is undamaged, moves without sticking and can be shut and locked securely from inside the bus. You should also make sure the entry handrails are secure and, if the bus has one, that the step light works.
A post-trip walk-through looks for things such as damage or vandalism, items students left behind, sleeping students, open windows, and mechanical problems. Ordinary dirt or footprints on the floor are not part of that checklist.
Once you have made sure no student is still aboard, the post-trip inspection is a check of the bus's mechanical and operating systems. Report any problem you find without delay to your supervisor or to school officials.
The pre-trip inspection of a school bus covers the emergency exits: each one should open and shut smoothly, show no damage and latch firmly from inside, and any warning device such as a buzzer or indicator light must work. Disabling an alarm or locking an exit would defeat its purpose in an emergency.
Bags or other objects in an aisle or stairwell can trip students as they get on and off, and they can slow everyone down if the bus has to be evacuated. Check these areas during your interior inspection and keep them open.
People sometimes damage a bus that has been left unattended, so look over the inside before every trip. Handholds and railings, the floor covering, signaling devices, and the emergency exit handles must all be in safe working order, and aisles and stairwells must be clear.
A school bus needs more emergency gear than most vehicles: along with the fuses, triangles and fire extinguisher, it must carry a first-aid kit and a body fluid cleanup kit. Flares, bolt cutters and rubbing alcohol are not on the required list.
Tip Remember that ordinary first-aid supplies are not enough, because a school bus must also carry a cleanup kit for body fluids and other biohazards.
After a route or trip, the driver walks through the bus looking for sleeping students, forgotten belongings, open windows and doors, mechanical or operating problems, and damage or vandalism. Ordinary dirt on the floor is not on that list, although your district may add its own checklist items.
On top of the normal inspection, school bus drivers check equipment found only on school buses, such as the alternating flashing red lights and their indicator, the strobe light when one is installed, and any stop arm or crossing control arm.
Inspections are required by law at the federal, state, and local levels, and their purpose is safety: catching defects early protects the driver, the students, and everyone else on the road.
If the bus has a lift, check it for leaks, damage, and missing parts, and make sure it is completely retracted and firmly latched. A lift left partly out or unlatched is a hazard on the road.
Federal, state, and local rules call for bus inspections because they protect you, the students you carry, and everyone else on the road. Finding defects early keeps small problems from turning into breakdowns or crashes.
In addition to the emergency gear that all commercial vehicles are required to have, a school bus must also carry a first-aid kit and a body-fluid cleanup kit. With these, the driver can treat injuries and clean up messes like blood or vomit.
When you inspect the entry door, look for damage, make sure it opens and shuts without sticking, and confirm it can be closed tightly from inside. A door that will not shut securely from inside puts riders at risk.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
