Nobody wants to use a school bus emergency exit. But in a crash, a fire or a bus on its side, the exits are how 70 students get out in a couple of minutes, and an exit that's stuck, blocked or missing its handle turns a bad day into a tragedy. Federal safety standards set how many exits a bus has and how they work. Keeping them working is the operator's job.
Here's a school bus emergency exit inspection routine: what the driver checks every day, what the shop checks on a schedule, and how to keep the record.
The exits on a typical bus
| Exit | What to check |
|---|---|
| Rear emergency door | Opens fully from inside and outside, handle and latch work, holds open, the buzzer sounds when it's opened, seal intact |
| Side emergency door (if fitted) | The same, and nothing blocks it: no seat folded across it, no wheelchair parked in front |
| Roof hatches | Open and close from inside (and outside where designed), latches lock, the buzzer works, seals don't leak |
| Push-out windows | Release handle works, window swings out and stays attached at the hinge, buzzer sounds, labels in place |
| Markings | The exit labels and opening instructions are readable, reflective tape around the exits is complete |
Tip: Test each buzzer with the ignition on. A buzzer that stays quiet on a door that opens fine is still a defect: it's how the driver knows a student has opened an exit.
Every day: the driver
- Open the rear door (and side door, if there is one) from inside, listen for the buzzer, and close it until it latches.
- Look at every exit on the walk through the bus: handles in place, nothing stored in front of an exit, labels readable.
- Check the roof hatches are closed and latched, not cracked open for air.
- Report anything wrong before leaving the yard. A bus with an exit that won't open shouldn't carry students.
On a schedule: the shop
- Open and close every exit, including each push-out window and roof hatch, which drivers don't open daily.
- Lubricate hinges and latches, and adjust or replace worn ones.
- Test every buzzer and switch, and the wiring to them.
- Replace torn seals and missing labels or reflective tape.
- Check after any body repair that the exit still opens fully.
Good to know: Federal motor vehicle safety standards set the exits and alarms a school bus must have, and states set the inspection schedule and add their own rules. Follow your state's inspection manual and the bus maker's manual.
Doing it in FleetCommander
Each bus's exits. On a school bus's record, tick This is a school bus and enter the number of Emergency exits, so the shop knows how many to check on each bus.
The checklists. On Inspections › Templates, put Emergency exits open, latch and buzz on your pre-trip template and mark it Safety-critical. For the shop's full check, Manage › New template with a Type such as Monthly or Quarterly, and one item for each exit under Vehicle components inspected: rear door, side door, each roof hatch, the push-out windows. A failed item opens a defect for the shop and managers are told; a failed safety-critical item lets the inspector take the bus out of service right there. See the Inspections guide and the Defects guide.
Ava (Beta), the assistant in the app, answers Any failed inspections this week? or Could you list the open defects?. More on her page.
Related reading
Questions people ask
- How often should school bus emergency exits be checked?
- The driver should check them every day on the pre-trip, and the shop should open, test and lubricate every exit on a schedule, often monthly or at each preventive maintenance service. Your state may set its own schedule.
- What emergency exits does a school bus have?
- Usually a rear emergency door, and depending on its size, a side emergency door, roof hatches and push-out windows. Federal standards set how many.
- Can a school bus run with a broken emergency exit buzzer?
- It should be repaired before the bus carries students. Write it up as a defect, since the buzzer is how the driver knows an exit is open.
- What should be checked on a push-out window?
- That the release handle works, the window swings out and stays attached at its hinge, the buzzer sounds, and the label is readable.