Missing clamps, spacers, studs, or lugs can be a dangerous defect. Mismatched, bent, or cracked lock rings are not safe to be used. Wheels or rims with welded repairs are not safe.

A steering wheel with play of more than 10 degrees may be defective. On a 20-inch wheel, this is equal to about two inches of movement at the rim of the wheel.

If approaching a railroad crossing while driving a transit bus, school bus, or placarded vehicle, special procedures apply. Before crossing, stop your vehicle within 50 feet of, but not less than 15 feet from, the nearest rail. Activate your four-way flashers while crossing. Do not stop, change gears, or change lanes while any part of your vehicle is proceeding across the tracks.

It is important for you to be aware of your surroundings at all times. To do this, regularly check your mirrors.

On a vehicle with air brakes, pressing and releasing the brake pedal unnecessarily may let air out of the braking system faster than the compressor can replace it. This may cause the system's air pressure to become too low and the brakes to stop working.

If you must stop on the side of the road, you should turn on your emergency flashers to alert other road users. This is particularly important at night.

If you must drive slowly, you should warn drivers behind you by turning on your emergency flashers, as long as local law permits their use.

Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands, placing them on opposite sides of the wheel.

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.

It is important to know the maximum air loss rate that is safe for your specific vehicle. A double combination vehicle should have a leakage rate no higher than 4 psi in a minute during an applied leakage test.

If you must drive in fog, you should use your low beam headlights and fog lights, even during the daytime.

The aisles and stairwell of a bus must be kept clear at all times. Do not let passengers use these areas to store additional baggage.

Before a trip, ensure that the steering box is securely mounted. Check for missing nuts, bolts, and cotter keys. Be sure that there are no power steering fluid leaks and that there is no damage to power steering hoses.

There are two indicators that determine when you need to shift into a higher gear. One indicator is the engine speed (rpm). You should read your vehicle's manual to learn its rpm range and shift up when you reach the top of that range. The other indicator is road speed (mph). You should learn which speeds each gear can accommodate, then keep an eye on the speedometer and shift up as needed.

If a school bus needs to be evacuated in the event of an emergency, the driver must quickly determine which exit or exits will be safest for students to use and direct the students to that exit.

When traveling at speeds below 40 mph, you should maintain at least one second of following distance for every 10 feet of your vehicle's length. At higher speeds, add an additional second.

If the weight of your vehicle prevents you from matching the speed of surrounding traffic, you should stay in the right lane, if possible.

When properly adjusted, the outside side flat mirrors on a school bus should allow the driver to see along the sides of the bus; the rear tires touching the ground; and 200 feet behind the bus.

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.

If stopped on the side of the road, you must place emergency warning devices, such as reflective warning triangles, within 10 minutes of stopping.