What is true about driving around buses?

Large trucks and buses have huge blind spots around the front, back, and sides of the vehicle. If you can't see the driver in the truck's side mirror, assume that the driver can't see you. Don't drive in a blind spot – slow down or move ahead to stay visible. Be particularly careful when merging near a truck or bus.



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Keep these tips in mind when driving around school buses: Stopping distance – School buses travel at slower speeds, so be ready to hit the brakes to maintain a safe distance. If you're driving behind a bus, leave a greater following distance so you have more time to stop when the bus stops.

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Check mirrors every 8-10 seconds to be aware of vehicles entering your blind spots. Additionally, scan ahead on the road about 15 seconds (equating to a quarter mile on interstates, or one to two blocks in cities) for traffic issues, work zones, and other dangers.

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Every standard size school bus has four danger zones. These are areas most motorists refer to as “blind spots” because it's almost impossible for the driver to see anything inside these zones.

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Before driving your bus, you must be sure it is safe. You must review the inspection report made by the previous driver. Only if defects reported earlier have been certified as repaired or not needed to be repaired, should you sign the previous driver's report.

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Backing up requires drivers to turn their heads and bodies to the right to see beyond the headrest and through the back window. To improve balance, drivers should drape their right arm over the seat's back while their left hand grips the steering wheel. Reverse slowly.

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Dangerous behavior should never be ignored. If there is dangerous behavior on the bus, the best recourse is to pull over and call for help? via two-way radio or cell phone to the bus depot, or even by yelling for assistance from the window. If necessary, you may need to get other students away from the offender.

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The “Danger Zone” is the area on all sides of the bus where children are in the most danger of not being seen by the driver (ten feet in front of the bus where the driver may be too high to see a child, ten feet on either side of the bus where a child may be in the driver's blind spot, and the area behind the bus).

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By using modern, GPS-enabled software systems combined with hardware like a tracking device installed within buses as well as apps installed on phones of users (e.g. drivers), a “real-time” bus tracking system can monitor the movement of buses on a map.

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Who's at greater risk of drowsy driving and related crashes and deaths?
  • Teen and young adult drivers. ...
  • Drivers on the road between midnight and 6 a.m. or in the later afternoon. ...
  • Drivers who don't get enough sleep. ...
  • Commercial truck drivers. ...
  • Drivers who work the night shift or long shifts.


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