After unloading students, what must the school bus driver do before pulling away from the stop?

Before pulling away: The driver must ensure ALL students are completely safe before moving.

Procedure: Verify all students who exited have moved away from the bus and out of the danger zone; ensure any students who crossed have safely reached the other side; count students if you track a count; CHECK ALL MIRRORS systematically (left, right, crossview/convex mirrors that show the front and sides); look for any child crossing, retrieving a dropped item, or in a blind spot; make sure the area immediately around the bus (especially the front and the right side near the door) is clear; WAIT until certain no child is in danger; only then deactivate the lights/stop arm and pull away slowly while continuing to watch.

Why: Children struck by their own bus when it pulls away is a leading fatal accident; a child may be in the front blind spot, retrieving an item, or crossing; the driver MUST verify the danger zone is completely clear.

Crossview mirrors: The convex mirrors mounted on the front fenders are specifically for seeing the danger zone in front of and beside the bus — use them; this careful 'all clear' check before moving is one of the most important school bus safety procedures, directly preventing children from being struck.