In which situations should a school bus driver evacuate the students?

The driver must decide whether evacuating is safer than staying aboard. Mandatory or strongly indicated evacuations include fire or the danger of fire, the bus stalled on or near railroad tracks, a position that could shift into a path of danger (such as on an unstable slope or in water), or a crash or hazardous-materials situation that makes the interior unsafe. If staying on the bus is safer — for instance, in heavy traffic where students would be exposed — the driver may keep them aboard. The key judgment is comparing the danger of remaining versus the danger of getting off, and acting to protect the students either way.