All commercial motor vehicles are required to be equipped with the proper emergency equipment. This may include spare electrical fuses; three red reflective triangles, six fuses, or three liquid burning flares; and at least one properly charged and rated fire extinguisher.

When approaching a railroad crossing, buses should stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest track and the driver should look both ways for a train. They should open the forward door if it improves their ability to see or hear an oncoming train.

One way to know when it is time to shift gears is to learn your vehicle's operating rpm range. You should shift up when your engine reaches the top of that range. You can also learn which speeds each gear is good for and shift up based on your speedometer.

Always check for traffic in your mirrors before changing lanes. Frequent mirror checks should be a part of your normal scanning routine.

When turning quickly to avoid colliding with a hazard in the roadway, you should always keep both hands on the steering wheel. You must have a firm grip on the wheel to be able to turn quickly.

When driving during the winter, it is particularly important that your tires have adequate tread. You need a tread depth of at least 4/32 of an inch in every major groove on the front tires, and at least 2/32 of an inch on the back tires. Check the tread depths by using a gauge.

When exiting your vehicle during the basic vehicle control skills test, you must face the vehicle and maintain three points of contact at all times. If your testing vehicle is a bus, you must maintain contact with the handrail. Exiting the vehicle incorrectly may result in automatic failure of the basic vehicle control skills test.

You may be asked to complete a conventional parallel parking maneuver into a parking space that is to the right of your vehicle. You should drive past the parking space before backing into it while bringing the rear of your vehicle as close to the rear of the space as possible. Your vehicle should be completely within the boundaries of the space.

If a vehicle is coming toward you while using its high beam headlights, glance away from the headlights and toward the right side of the road until the vehicle has passed. This will keep you from being blinded by the lights.

Fog can quickly deteriorate drivers' ability to see the road, other drivers, and other hazards. Avoid driving in fog if at all possible.

When inspecting a vehicle's exhaust system, be alert to a number of potential problems, including loose, broken, or missing exhaust pipes, mufflers, tailpipes, or vertical stacks; loose, broken, or missing mounting brackets, clamps, bolts, or nuts; exhaust system parts rubbing against fuel system parts, tires, or other moving parts of the vehicle; and exhaust system parts that are leaking.

You should finish each exercise with your vehicle in the exact position described by the examiner. You can be penalized for failing to complete an exercise exactly in the manner described by the examiner, potentially resulting in failure of the basic control skills test.

You should start and stop as smoothly as possible to help prevent passenger injury. After passengers have boarded your bus at a stop, you should allow them time to be seated or to brace themselves before you begin driving.

The best thing to do when confronted with an aggressive driver is to get out of their way, if possible. Avoid making eye contact, which could further provoke the driver. Ignore any hand gestures made by the driver.

When involved in an accident, you should protect the area, notify authorities, care for the injured, collect required information, and report the accident. You can lose your license for leaving the scene of an accident.

Mandatory emergency equipment includes: at least one fire extinguisher; spare electrical fuses (unless the vehicle is equipped with circuit breakers); and warning devices for parked vehicles (such as reflective triangles).

In general, a smaller vehicle will be able to come to a complete stop faster than a larger vehicle. Keep this in mind when determining your following distance.

Regrooved, recapped, or retreaded tires are not permitted to be used on the front of a bus.

If you must use a mobile phone while driving, it must be in close proximity to you and easily reachable while you are securely fastened into your seat. It is dangerous and non-compliant to unsafely reach for a mobile phone, even if you plan to use a hands-free feature when speaking on the phone.

In the event of tire failure, hold the steering wheel firmly. Stay off the brakes and let the vehicle slow down on its own. Once the vehicle has slowed considerably, you should brake very gently, pull off the road, and stop.