CDL School Bus Endorsement — All Questions

What is the 'danger zone' around a school bus?

• a.The interior aisle where students stand while boarding
• b.The 50-foot lane reserved for the bus at the curb
• c.Only the space directly behind the rear bumper
• d.The area on all sides of the bus where children are in the most danger of being hit✓

The danger zone is the area on all sides of the bus, extending as much as 30 feet from the front bumper and 10 feet on the other sides, where children are at the greatest risk of being struck. A driver may not be able to see students who are within this zone. Extra caution and mirror checks are essential before moving.

How far in front of the bus should students walk before crossing so the driver can see them?

• a.At least 10 feet✓
• b.About 3 feet
• c.About 6 feet
• d.At least 25 feet

Students should be taught to walk at least 10 feet ahead of the bus (about five giant steps) before crossing so they stay in the driver's line of sight. Walking too close to the front bumper puts the child in a blind spot. The driver should be able to see the student's feet clearly.

The most dangerous part of the school bus route for students is usually:

• a.Getting on and off the bus✓
• b.Sitting at the bus stop bench
• c.Riding inside the bus
• d.Waiting for the bus far from the road

Statistically, students are in the most danger while getting on and off the bus, especially when crossing the road. More students are killed in the loading and unloading zone than inside the bus. This is why danger-zone awareness and proper procedures are heavily emphasized.

When approaching a bus stop, you should activate your alternately flashing amber (yellow) warning lights:

• a.At least 100 to 300 feet before the stop, per state law✓
• b.Just as the door opens
• c.Only after the bus has fully stopped
• d.Only if students are already at the roadside

Amber warning lights should be turned on at least 100 to 300 feet before the stop, depending on your state's law and speed. These lights warn following traffic that you are about to stop. The red flashing lights and stop arm are then activated when the bus is stopped and loading or unloading.

Before students board, the mirrors should be adjusted so that you can see:

• a.Only the interior aisle of the bus
• b.The front bumper, the sides of the bus, and the ground around it✓
• c.Only the traffic approaching from behind
• d.Nothing but the road far ahead

Mirrors must be adjusted so you can see the area around the front and sides of the bus, including the ground where a small child could be crouching. Outside flat and convex mirrors together should let you monitor the danger zones. A proper mirror check before moving can prevent a fatal collision.

The outside left and right flat mirrors are mainly used to monitor:

• a.The dashboard warning gauges
• b.Traffic and the sides and rear of the bus✓
• c.The area directly in front of the bumper
• d.The interior of the passenger compartment

The outside flat mirrors are used to monitor traffic, check clearances, and see students along the sides and to the rear of the bus. They are mounted to give a view down the sides and behind. Convex mirrors, by contrast, are used for a wide-angle view of the danger zones close to the bus.

The convex mirrors on a school bus are used primarily to:

• a.Check tire pressure while driving
• b.Give a wide-angle view of the danger zones and children near the bus✓
• c.See far down the highway behind you
• d.Read the dashboard instruments

Convex mirrors give a wide-angle, close-up view of the sides of the bus and the danger zone areas where children may be present. They make objects appear smaller and farther away than they really are. They are essential for spotting a child close to the bus who would otherwise be hidden.

The crossover mirrors (mounted at the front) are used to see:

• a.The front bumper area and the danger zone directly in front of the bus✓
• b.Your own reflection to check appearance
• c.Overhead traffic signals
• d.The rear license plate

Crossover mirrors are mounted on the front corners of the bus to let the driver see the front bumper area and the danger zone directly in front. This is where a small child crossing could be completely hidden below the windshield. They must be checked before pulling away from any stop.

If a student drops something near the bus while crossing, you should teach them to:

• a.Crawl under the bus to retrieve it
• b.Kick it out of the way toward the curb
• c.Quickly grab it before traffic comes
• d.Leave it and tell the driver, never bend down to pick it up✓

Students should be taught never to stop to pick up a dropped object near the bus, because bending down puts them in the driver's blind spot. Instead they should tell the driver, who can keep them in view or retrieve it safely. Reaching under or near the bus is extremely dangerous.

When students must cross the road after leaving the bus, they should cross:

• a.Diagonally to save time
• b.Only after the bus has driven away
• c.In front of the bus where the driver can see them✓
• d.Behind the bus, out of traffic

Students who must cross should always cross in front of the bus, at least 10 feet ahead, where the driver can see them and control traffic with the stop arm and red lights. Crossing behind the bus hides them from the driver and from traffic. The driver should signal the student when it is safe to cross.

Before allowing students to cross, the driver should:

• a.Check all mirrors and make sure traffic in both directions has stopped✓
• b.Honk the horn twice
• c.Rev the engine to warn traffic
• d.Open the door and look only at the students

The driver must scan all mirrors and confirm that traffic in both directions has come to a complete stop before signaling students to cross. Only when the road is clearly safe should the driver give the crossing signal. The driver keeps students in view the entire time they are crossing.

You should count students at the stop and match them as they board and cross so that:

• a.You know when to refuel
• b.You can adjust the heater
• c.You can bill the school correctly
• d.You account for every student and know none is left in the danger zone✓

Counting the students waiting and confirming each one has boarded or safely crossed ensures no child is left in the danger zone before you pull away. If you counted fewer crossing than expected, a child may still be near the bus. This head-count habit prevents drag-and-run tragedies.

After loading, before you move the bus you should:

• a.Recheck all mirrors, ensure all students are seated, and confirm the danger zone is clear✓
• b.Sound the horn continuously
• c.Immediately accelerate to merge with traffic
• d.Turn off all lights and pull out

Before moving, do a final scan of all mirrors, verify every student is seated, and make sure the danger zone is completely clear of children. Only then release the parking brake and pull away slowly. A child returning for a dropped item is a common cause of loading-zone fatalities.

If you cannot account for a student who got off the bus, you should:

• a.Drive slowly and hope you see them
• b.Back up to look behind the bus
• c.Secure the bus and, if trained procedure allows, get out and check around and under the bus✓
• d.Continue the route and report it later

If a student is unaccounted for, never move the bus. Set the parking brake, secure the bus, and check around and in front of and under the bus following your district's procedure. Moving with a missing student unaccounted for risks running them over.

The red flashing lights and stop arm should be used:

• a.Only in bad weather
• b.At every intersection
• c.When the bus is stopped to load or unload students on a roadway✓
• d.Whenever the bus is moving

Red flashing lights and the extended stop arm are activated when the bus is stopped to load or unload students on the roadway, requiring surrounding traffic to stop. They must not be used as a courtesy or at other times, which would confuse motorists. Follow your state law on when they are required.

You should place the transmission in neutral (or park) and set the parking brake at a stop to:

• a.Prevent the bus from moving while students are loading or unloading✓
• b.Cool the engine faster
• c.Save fuel
• d.Reduce tire wear

Setting the parking brake and putting the transmission in neutral or park prevents any accidental movement while children are in the danger zone. This protects students who are boarding, exiting, or crossing. Relying only on the service brake with your foot is not safe during loading.

When a student is approaching the bus at the stop and is late, you should:

• a.Keep the bus secured and never move until the student is seated and accounted for✓
• b.Close the door and leave to stay on schedule
• c.Slowly roll forward to encourage them to hurry
• d.Wave them across from behind the bus

Never move the bus toward or past a late-arriving student; keep it fully secured until they are safely aboard and seated. Rolling forward can pull a running child under the wheels. Staying on schedule is never worth a student's safety.

The 'unloading' procedure differs from loading mainly because:

• a.Fewer lights are needed
• b.Students may need to cross and leave the danger zone, so you must confirm all are clear before moving✓
• c.Mirrors are unnecessary
• d.The stop arm is not used

During unloading, students exit and some must cross the road, so the critical step is confirming all students have moved out of the danger zone before you drive away. You must watch that every crossing student reaches the far side or curb. A miscount here is a leading cause of student fatalities.

When students are walking to the bus stop along the road, they should walk:

• a.In the middle of the road
• b.With their back to traffic
• c.Directly on the white edge line
• d.Facing traffic where possible and stay well back from the road✓

Students walking to a stop should, where there is no sidewalk, walk facing oncoming traffic and stay as far from the roadway as possible. This lets them see approaching vehicles and react. They should wait for the bus in a safe location back from the traffic lane.

A 'post-trip inspection' of the bus interior is important to:

• a.Adjust the mirrors for tomorrow
• b.Log your mileage
• c.Check fuel level
• d.Make sure no student is sleeping or left behind on the bus✓

A post-trip walk-through of the entire bus ensures no child has fallen asleep or remained on board after the route. Children have died from heat when left on a bus. Checking every seat, front to back, before leaving the vehicle is a required safety habit.

If a vehicle fails to stop for your red flashing lights while students are crossing, you should:

• a.Keep students on the curb or bus and do not signal them to cross until it is safe✓
• b.Assume the driver will stop at the last second
• c.Signal students to hurry across quickly
• d.Sound the horn and wave them across anyway

If traffic does not stop, hold the students, do not release them to cross, and only allow crossing once you are certain all traffic has stopped. Never rely on an approaching vehicle stopping. Note the vehicle's plate to report the violation if you safely can.

The recommended hand signal to a student who needs to cross is given:

• a.Only after you have verified traffic has stopped and it is safe✓
• b.Before checking mirrors
• c.While the bus is still rolling to the stop
• d.As soon as the door opens

The crossing signal is given only after the driver has scanned mirrors, confirmed all traffic has stopped, and determined it is safe to cross. Giving the signal too early can send a child into moving traffic. The driver watches the student until they are safely across.

Loading students takes longer than an ordinary passenger stop mainly because:

• a.Fuel must be checked each time
• b.You must protect children in the danger zone and control surrounding traffic✓
• c.Doors are heavier
• d.Buses have weaker brakes

School bus loading requires extra time to activate warning lights, secure the bus, control traffic, and safely guide children through the danger zone. Rushing any of these steps endangers students. Patience during loading and unloading is a core school-bus safety principle.

To reduce the chance of a student being in a blind spot, you should:

• a.Keep the windows fogged for privacy
• b.Only use the interior mirror
• c.Adjust and use all outside flat, convex, and crossover mirrors together✓
• d.Rely on your memory of where students stood

Using the full mirror system, flat, convex, and crossover, together gives the widest possible coverage of the danger zones and reduces blind spots. No single mirror covers every area around the bus. Regular mirror adjustment and scanning is the driver's best defense against loading-zone accidents.