School Bus: School Bus Operations
7 questions in the bank cover this topic. Everything below is drawn from the sources those questions cite.
Sources: 49 CFR 392.10, 49 CFR 392.14, 49 CFR 392.16, 49 CFR 392.62, 49 CFR 393.90, 49 CFR 395.5, 49 CFR 396.13
What you need to know
393.90 requires this sign in addition to the standee line itself, so the restriction is stated in words as well as marked on the floor.
It must state that operating with persons in the prohibited area violates FMCSA regulations. Stating that carrying persons in the prohibited area violates the regulations.
Every bus shall have clearly posted at or near the front, a sign with letters at least one-half inch high stating that it is a violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's regulations for a bus to be operated with persons occupying the prohibited area.
49 CFR 393.90
392.14 requires extreme caution and reduced speed whenever listed conditions affect visibility or traction, and discontinuing operation if conditions become sufficiently dangerous.
The passenger-safety exception then governs where to stop.
Extreme caution in the operation of a commercial motor vehicle shall be exercised when hazardous conditions, such as those caused by snow, ice, sleet, fog, mist, rain, dust, or smoke, adversely affect visibility or traction.
49 CFR 392.14
395.5(a)(1) limits driving to 10 hours following 8 consecutive hours off duty, with a 15-hour on-duty limit under 395.5(a)(2).
More than 10 hours following 8 consecutive hours off duty
49 CFR 395.5
392.16(a) requires it on any CMV with a belt at the driver's seat, with no exception for school buses.
The driver staying in the seat and in control matters most when the vehicle is full of children. The driver must be properly restrained by it.
that has a seat belt assembly installed at the driver's seat unless the driver is properly restrained by the seat belt assembly
49 CFR 392.16
392.10(a)(1) covers every bus transporting passengers, so the stop is required by what you carry.
Many states add their own school bus crossing procedure on top of it.
Every bus transporting passengers,
49 CFR 392.10
392.62(c)(2) requires unobstructed access to all exits for every occupant.
An aisle full of bags turns a 90 second evacuation into something much longer, with children doing the climbing.
Unobstructed access to all exits by any occupant of the bus
Protection of occupants of the bus against injury resulting from the falling or displacement of articles transported in the bus
49 CFR 392.62
396.13 names all three.
The signature is the part drivers skip: it is your acknowledgement that you read the previous driver's defects and that the repairs were certified, so skipping it leaves your driving a bus whose known faults you never checked.
Be satisfied that the motor vehicle is in safe operating condition
Review the last driver vehicle inspection report
Sign the report to acknowledge that the driver has reviewed it and that there is a certification that the required repairs have been performed
49 CFR 396.13
Check yourself
- What sign must be posted at or near the front of your bus?
- What standard of care applies when driving a school bus in snow or fog?
- What is the driving limit for your school bus driver under the passenger-carrying rules?
- Must a school bus driver wear the belt at your seat?
- You are driving a school bus with children aboard and reach a railroad crossing. What is required?
- Students have put backpacks in the aisle of your bus. Why is that a problem?
- Before you drive your bus, what does the rule require of you?
Answers are in the practice test for this topic.