Pennsylvania School Bus Driver’s Manual

1 PUB 117 (2-22) Bus Driver s ManualFOREWORDThe Highway Safety Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, under the Departmentof Transportation s Federal Standard 17, requires each state to develop plans to reduce, as much as possible,the danger of death or injury to School children while being transported to and from School . This Manual and theassociated training course are Pennsylvania s response to this standard. This Manual is intended as a meansfor certified instructors to deliver training courses effectively and uniformly to School bus drivers course contained in this Manual emphasizes fundamental concepts of School bus operation for the newdriver and recertification (experienced) levels. This Manual provides a basic foundation for new instructors, butalso provides sufficient flexibility for enhancement and adaptation by the more knowledgeable and or individuals interested in pupil transportation and safety may freely use the contents of thismanual in whole or in part, provided the material used is properly PUBLICATION IS NOT FOR SALEP ennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual PUB 117 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe revision of this Manual benefited from the help of many individuals.

2 PennDOT s Bureau of Driver Licensing staff Shellie Harter, Angelia Gillis and Laura Krol directed the project s technical aspects and served as lead reviewers. Additional support at PennDOT was provided by Troy Roadcap in the Bureau of Driver Licensing and Jacquie Turk in the Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering. Rebecca Lorah and Matthew Hedge of PennDOT s Bureau of Planning and Research managed the contractual aspects of the project, and kept the project on schedule and on Task Force, listed below, was responsible for the many changes in content and the reorganization of the material in this latest revision of the Pennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual . Burchard BlackburnDelaware County Intermediate UnitMorton, PANathan BrayDirector of TransportationSchool District of Springfield TownshipErdenheim, PABeverly PeppernickTraining ManagerKrapf School BusGlenmoore, PAWayne JohnstonOwner/ConsultantMittsNorthwales PAAlline SmithConsultantMittsNorthwales, PAJeff PersingDirector of CDL Testing and TrainingRohrer Bus ServiceDuncannon, PACheryl VogelsangOn the Go Kids, Boot RoadDowningtown, PA 19335ii Pennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual PUB 117 Special thanks go to the following individuals for their outside review and comment on specific units or input into various legal or enforcement issues.

3 Barbara Schaefer, , College of Education, Pennsylvania State University (Units B and D)Shirley Woika, , College of Education, Pennsylvania State University (Unit D)Kristie Kaufman, , Center Medical and Surgical Associates Pediatrics (Unit I)Brian Newcomb, , Mt. Nittany Medical Center Emergency Medicine (Unit I)Edward Miller, Lower Moreland Police Department, Montgomery CountyJohn Collins, Upper Merion Police Department, Montgomery CountyKathy Strotmeyer, Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of PediatricsPennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual PUB 117 iii TABLE OF CONTENTSUNIT ATHE School BUS DRIVER: ROLE, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND REQUIREMENTS INTRODUCTION ..A-2 YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES ..A-3 WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO BECOME A School BUS DRIVER IN Pennsylvania ? ..A-7 UNIT BSTUDENT MANAGEMENT AND DISCIPLINE INTRODUCTION ..B-2 School BUS DRIVER RESPONSIBILITIES.

4 B-2 STUDENT RESPONSIBILTIES ..B-4 DRIVER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS ..B-5 CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR ..B-9 GUIDELINES FOR CONTROLLING STUDENT BEHAVIOR ..B-11 ASSERTIVE DISCIPLINE ..B-13 GANG AWARENESS ..B-15 BULLYING AND HARASSMENT ON THE School BUS ..B-16 UNIT CSTUDENT LOADING AND UNLOADING INTRODUCTION ..C-2 THE LOADING/UNLOADING AREA ..C-3 LOADING PROCEDURES ..C-4 UNLOADING PROCEDURES ..C-6 UNIQUE DANGERS OF LOADING AND UNLOADING ZONES ..C-8 ENFORCING THE School BUS STOPPING LAW ..C-8 UNIT DTRANSPORTATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITES INTRODUCTION ..D-2 DRIVER RESPONSIBILITY ..D-3 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ..D-3 GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ..D-4 TYPES OF DISABILITIES ..D-6 TRANSPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ..D-13 UNIT EPREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE INTRODUCTION ..E-2 PRE-TRIP INSPECTION ..E-2 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE WHILE ON THE ROAD.

5 E-17 POST-TRIP PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES ..E-22iv Pennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual PUB 117 UNIT FSAFE DRIVING INTRODUCTION ..F-3 THE DRIVING TASK ..F-5 DRIVER CONDITIONS ..F-7 VEHICLE CONDITIONS ..F-17 ENVIRONMENTAL AND ROADWAY CONDITIONS ..F-17 CONTROLLING SPEED ..F-30 STOPPING ..F-31 UNIT GFUNDAMENTALS OF DRIVING A School BUS INTRODUCTION ..G-2 PREPARING TO DRIVE ..G-2 KNOW YOUR ROUTE ..G-4 FIELD TRIP / ATHLETIC TRIP CONCERNS ..G-5 STARTING AND OPERATING A DIESEL VEHICLE ..G-6 STEERING AND TURNING YOUR BUS ..G-7 BACKING ..G-10 MAKING A TURN-AROUND ..G-12 STOPPING ..G-13 CHECKING OVERHEAD CLEARANCE ..G-15 APPROACHING RAILROAD CROSSINGS ..G-16 UNIT HCRASH AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES INTRODUCTION ..H-3 EMERGENCY DRIVING TECHNIQUES ..H-3 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ..H-10 EVACUATING THE BUS ..H-14 EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT ..H-19 School BUS SECURITY.

6 H-22 HOSTAGE AWARENESS ..H-24 UNIT ISTUDENT EMERGENCIES INTRODUCTION ..I-2 MEDICAL LIABILITY ..I-3 FIRST AID PROCEDURES ..I-4 REPORT ALL INCIDENTS ..I-13 FIRST AID EQUIPMENT ..I-14 Pennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual PUB 117 A-1 UNIT A - The School Bus Driver: Role Responsibilities and RequirementsUNIT A - THE School BUS DRIVER:ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTSINTRODUCTION ..A-2 YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES ..A-3 Your Role as a Driver ..A-3 Attitude ..A-3 You Are Important ..A-3 You Are Responsible ..A-3 You Are a Member of the Safety Team ..A-3 Your Responsibilities as a Driver ..A-4 Your Driving Technique ..A-4 Your Passengers ..A-4 Public Relations ..A-5 Appropriate Dress ..A-5 Your Supervisor and Fellow Employees.

7 A-6 The Transportation Director/Your Supervisor ..A-6 WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO BECOME A School BUS DRIVER IN Pennsylvania ? ..A-7 Initial Requirements - First Step ..A-7 Knowledge Test Authorization and School Bus Learner s Permit - Second Step ..A-8 Training and Skills Testing Requirements - Third Step ..A-8 The School Bus Driver Training Course ..A-8 11-15 Passenger Buses ..A-9 Health and Safety Requirements ..A-10 Drug and Alcohol Testing for School Bus Drivers ..A-11 Positive Test or Refusing to Take a Test ..A-11 Driver Recertification ..A-12 Completion of Report Form ..A-13 School Bus Physical Examination ..A-13 Change of Information on License ..A-13 Documents Carried While Operating a School Bus ..A-14 Hours of Service Regulations ..A-14 Comprehensive Resource ..A-14 Whistle-Blower/Coercion ..A-14A-2 Pennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual PUB 117 UNIT A - The School Bus Driver: Role Responsibilities and RequirementsUNIT A - THE School BUS DRIVER:ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTSINTRODUCTIONT ransporting students to and from School is a necessary part of a sound education program.

8 For a safe, efficient, and economical transportation program, competent School bus drivers and standard bus operation are necessary . At present, there are approximately 31,000 School buses in operation within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and about 45,000 licensed School bus drivers . For detailed Pennsylvania School bus statistics, visit the Driver and Vehicle Statistics link under the News, Facts and Stats Information Center of PennDOT s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www .dmv .pa .govBefore you get behind the wheel of a School bus, you need to understand your role as a bus driver and your responsibilities to your passengers, your School system, your community and your fellow workers . These topics are covered in the first part of this Unit. The second part describes the requirements for certified School bus drivers in Pennsylvania .

9 If you are a new School bus driver in PA, you will receive a minimum of 14 hours of classroom training and six hours of one-on-one in-bus instruction . If you are recertifying to maintain your license, you will receive a minimum of seven hours of classroom training and three hours of one-on-one in-bus instruction .If you are not given the minimum number of training hours, do not sign the School Bus Drivers Training Report Form (DL-714). You may contact PennDOT s School Bus Unit at (717) 787-6453 or if you have any concerns associated with your School bus driver employer may also provide you with additional training on the policies and procedures of the School district in which you will be working . Some of what you learn in this training might need to be adjusted to comply with your company s policies . For instance, in classroom training you might be instructed to notify a mechanic if you discover something wrong with your bus during a pre-trip inspection.

10 Your company might require that mechanical complaints be reported to the dispatcher who notifies the mechanic. You should follow local policies and procedures as long as they don t violate state laws or regulations . Bring those to your employer s attention . Pennsylvania School Bus Driver s Manual PUB 117 A-3 UNIT A - The School Bus Driver: Role Responsibilities and RequirementsYOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES The School bus driver plays an important role in the educational system . The role includes a number of responsibilities the driver must willingly accept . YOUR ROLE AS A DRIVER Learning to operate a vehicle the size of a School bus is a difficult task involving knowledge of laws, regulations, visual and mechanical skills, judgments, decisions, and accurate responses . Your performance as a School bus operator is dependent on developing skills, acquiring necessary knowledge and maintaining a positive attitude.