When should the driver evacuate a school bus in an emergency?

School bus evacuation is a major undertaking with young children and should be done only when staying aboard is more dangerous than evacuating. Conditions that require evacuation: fire or smoke aboard; danger of fire (fuel leak, electrical fire signs); risk of being struck (bus stopped on tracks, in a curve, on a hill); rollover or stuck in water; chemical release nearby. Conditions where staying aboard is safer: minor mechanical breakdown on a safe shoulder; lightning storm with no fire risk; armed threat outside the bus. The driver makes the decision based on best judgment of the specific situation. When evacuation is needed, do it quickly and through the safest available exit.