• School Bus Safety Drills

     

    Section 3623 of the State Education Department requires drills on school buses including practice and instruction in the location, use and operation of the emergency door, fire extinguishers, first-aid equipment, and windows as a means of escape in case of fire or accident.


    Drills shall also include instruction in safe entering and exiting procedures with specific emphasis on when and how to approach, board, disembark, and move away from the bus after disembarking. Each drill shall include specific instructions for pupils to advance at least ten (10) feet in front of the bus before crossing the roadway after disembarking.


    Each drill shall emphasize specific hazards encountered by children during snow, ice, rain, and other inclement weather including, but not necessarily limited to, conditions where the driver has poor visibility, reduced vehicular control, and/or reduced hearing.


    All such drills shall include instruction in the importance of orderly conduct by all school bus passengers with specific emphasis given to student discipline, rules, and regulations.


    All pupils are required to participate in these drills, whether or not they are transported to school by bus, as they may use yellow school bus service on field trips.


    Frequency of School Bus Safety Drills
    Section 3623 of the State Education Law requires school districts to conduct at least three school bus drills per school year:

    • The first during the first seven days of school
    • The second between November 1 and December 31
    • The third between March 1 and April 30

     

    Seat Belts
    Instruction in the use of seat belts shall also be covered during each of the three school bus safety drills and shall include:

    • Proper fastening and release of seat belts
    • Acceptable placement of seat belts
    • Times at which the seat belt should be fastened and released 
    • Acceptable placement of the seat belts when not is use