CDL · Student Management

A student on the bus is having a serious medical emergency (seizure). The bus is moving at 40 mph on a highway. What should the driver do?

Correct answer

Pull safely to the highway shoulder as quickly as safely possible; call 911 with exact location; do not leave the driver's seat until safely stopped; assign a responsible student to stay with the affected student; follow emergency response protocol for the specific situation

  1. A Stop the bus immediately in the traffic lane
  2. B Pull safely to the highway shoulder as quickly as safely possible; call 911 with exact location; do not leave the driver's seat until safely stopped; assign a responsible student to stay with the affected student; follow emergency response protocol for the specific situation
  3. C Continue to the school — it is closer than a hospital
  4. D Ask other students to handle it

Why this is the answer

STUDENT MEDICAL EMERGENCY — on a moving highway bus: PRIORITY: Vehicle safety first — stop in a safe location before any other action; a moving bus crash would injure all students including the one with the emergency; SAFE STOP: Move to the shoulder as quickly as safely possible — this may be different from 'immediately' if doing so would cause a crash; CALL 911: Provide exact highway location (mile marker, highway number, direction of travel); BASIC EMERGENCY MEASURES: Remain calm; if trained in first aid for the specific emergency (seizure: do not restrain, protect from injury, time the episode, position recovery if breathing is an issue); STAY IN CONTACT WITH DISPATCH; STUDENT MANAGEMENT: Keep other students calm and in their seats — panic compounds the emergency. NEVER leave the driver's seat while the bus is moving to assist a student — this causes the second emergency.
Source: FMCSA CDL Manual, Chapter 12, School Buses, Medical Emergency Response

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