Backing School Buses
Injuries can result from the backing of school buses. These could be eliminated
by prohibiting this kind of movement. However, backing maneuvers occasionally are
necessary and cannot be avoided on bus routes and on school grounds. Adopt policies
prohibiting the backing of school buses except where absolutely necessary and emphasize
such policies during school bus operator instruction.
The recommended procedures are:
- Backup for the shortest possible distance -- just enough to enable the driver to
proceed forward.
- If backing in a loading/unloading zone is unavoidable, provide an adult to assist
the driver from outside the bus, and complete the backing maneuver before children
are present.
- When backing is unavoidable on the route, an outside observer is encouraged. If
one is not available, exercise extreme caution. Depending upon the ages of the children,
it may be possible to use the oldest, most responsible child inside the bus as a
spotter.
- Back-up alarms, four-way hazard lights and horns are attention-getting devices that
can be used for a vehicle that has to back up. It is also suggested that silence
be requested on the bus during the maneuver so that the driver can more easily hear
any warning from outside the bus, such as another vehicle's horn.
- Design bus routes to load children before turnarounds and unload them after turnarounds.
- When route conditions necessitate daily backing in order to pick up a particular
student, contact parents in the area to alert them that a bus will be backing up
on their street.
- Make efforts to find an alternative to backing the bus, such as asking the student
to go to another pickup point. In addition, periodically review each situation requiring
a bus to back up, rather than assuming that situation will exist for the entire
school year.
Although the information and recommendations contained in this publication have
been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, other or additional safety measures
may be required under particular circumstances.
Revised, School Transportation Section, March, 1998
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