CDL · School Bus · 7 min read
Handling Critical Bus Situations
- Determine when an emergency evacuation is necessary, secure the vehicle, and direct passengers to an appropriate safe location based on the hazard present.
- Execute correct observation, stopping, and crossing maneuvers at both passive and active railroad-highway grade crossings.
- Identify the function, operational indicators, and proper braking methods for school buses equipped with Antilock Braking Systems (ABS).
Deciding to Evacuate and Preparing the Students
In an unexpected event on the road, knowing what to do before, during, and after an evacuation can mean the difference between life and death. The first and most important consideration in planning for emergencies is to recognize the hazard. As a general rule, student safety and control is best maintained by keeping students on the bus during an emergency if it does not expose them to unnecessary risk or injury. However, when remaining inside is hazardous, the decision to evacuate a school bus must be a timely one.
When weighing whether to evacuate, school bus drivers should contact their dispatcher to explain the situation before deciding to evacuate, provided time permits. A decision to evacuate must consider immediate threats, including whether there is a fire or danger of fire, or if there is a smell of raw or leaking fuel. Fire, danger of fire, and the smell of raw or leaking fuel are conditions to consider when deciding whether to evacuate; recognize the hazard and make a timely decision based on student safety.
Successful evacuations depend heavily on advanced student instruction and exit leadership. When possible, assign two responsible, older student assistants to each emergency exit and teach them how to assist other students off the bus. In addition, a student assistant should be assigned to lead the students to a safe place after evacuation. Because those specific helpers might not be present on every run, emergency evacuation procedures must be explained to all students in case older, responsible students are not on the bus. All students must know how to operate the various emergency exits and understand the importance of following the driver's instructions.
Common mistakes
- Evacuating students automatically during minor incidents instead of remembering the general rule: student safety and control is best maintained by keeping students on the bus unless staying exposes them to unnecessary risk or injury.
- Walking students toward the rear of the bus during a standard road evacuation, rather than leading them at least 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic to protect them from flying collision debris.
- Driving around a lowered railroad gate that stays down after a train passes; drivers must never drive around the gate and must call the dispatcher instead.
- Assuming that an active railroad signal showing clear tracks eliminates the need to open the service door and driver window to manually look and listen.
Key points
- As a general rule, keep students on the bus if doing so does not expose them to unnecessary risk or injury; consider hazards such as fire, danger of fire, and the smell of raw or leaking fuel when deciding whether to evacuate.
- To secure the bus during an evacuation, shift into Park (or Neutral if no Park), set the parking brakes, turn off the engine, remove the key, and turn on the hazard lights.
- Direct students at least 100 feet off the road in the direction of oncoming traffic; lead them upwind if fire is present and at least 300 feet upwind if spilled hazardous materials pose a risk. If the bus is in the direct path of a sighted tornado, evacuation is ordered, and building shelter is not readily available, escort students to a nearby ditch or culvert away from flash-flood areas.
- The manual recommends activating hazard lights approximately 200 feet before a crossing, stopping no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail, placing the transmission in Park or Neutral as specified, using the service or parking brake, silencing passengers, and opening the service door and driver’s window to look and listen; specific state procedures vary.
- Before crossing, be certain the bus can completely clear the tracks if it must stop on the other side; as a general rule, add 15 feet to the bus’s length to estimate an acceptable storage area.
- DOT requires ABS on air-braked buses built on or after March 1, 1998, and hydraulically braked buses with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more built on or after March 1, 1999; brake normally because ABS helps maintain control but does not necessarily shorten stopping distance.
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