If time permits, before deciding to evacuate a school bus, the driver should contact their dispatcher to explain the situation. The decision to evacuate must be a timely one.

School bus drivers should approach stops slowly and cautiously.

During the pre-trip vehicle inspection test, you will be asked to indicate where the dipstick is located. You will need to show that the oil level is within a safe operating range and above the refill mark.

While students are boarding a school bus, the driver should supervise the loading while watching all mirrors for any students running to catch the bus.

The overhead inside rearview mirror in a school bus is used to monitor passenger activity inside the bus.

During the on-road driving test, the examiner will be scoring you on specific driving maneuvers, as well as your general driving behavior.

The examiner will score the number of times your vehicle touches or crosses an exercise boundary line. Each encroachment will count as an error, resulting in points against your skills test score.

When asked to make a turn during the on-road driving test, you must check traffic in all directions and use your turn signal.

Students who are about to unload a school bus should remain seated until the driver tells them that it is safe to exit. After exiting the bus, they should walk to a position that is at least 10 feet away from the bus so the driver can clearly see them.

In general, school bus drivers should stop before any railroad crossings to check the tracks for approaching trains. Drivers should stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail in order to have the best view of the tracks. They should look and listen for approaching trains before proceeding through the crossing.

Maneuvers that may be included in the basic vehicle control skills test include straight line backing, offset back/right parking, offset back/left parking, driver side parallel parking, conventional parallel parking, and alley docking.

Anti-lock brakes are meant to keep a vehicle's wheels from locking up during hard applications. If your vehicle's Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) malfunctions, its standard braking functions should still be in place. You should continue to drive and brake in a normal manner.

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.

During the on-road driving test, if your route does not include a railroad crossing, the examiner may ask you to explain and demonstrate the necessary procedures at a simulated location.

Students should board a school bus slowly and in a single-file line. For safety, boarding students should use the handrail.

When asked to make a lane change during the on-road driving test, you should make the proper traffic checks, use your turn signal, and smoothly change lanes when it is safe to do so.

After evacuating a school bus, students should be led to a safe place at least 100 feet away from the road in the direction of oncoming traffic. This will keep them safe from flying debris if another vehicle hits the bus. Students should be upwind of any fires and as far away from railroad tracks as possible.

At a stop, a school bus should be stopped with the front bumper at least 10 feet away from the students. This forces the students to walk toward the bus, allowing the driver to keep an eye on their movements.

If equipped, a school bus's roof-mounted strobe light should be used when conditions create an environment of limited visibility.

Properly adjusted flat mirrors on a school bus should allow the driver to see 200 feet behind the bus, the base of each rear wheel, and the sides of the bus.