KNOWING YOUR ROUTE

	LESSON PLAN		INSTRUCTOR NOTES
I. Know Your Route Every day you drive a bus route That route is carefully planned and timed You don't really have room for surprises But sometimes surprises happen We are going to talk today about 2 things The importance of really knowing the route you are driving Whether it is your regular route or a special field or activity trip What to do about potential hazards on the route What do I mean when I use the term “route hazard”? (Anything that could put the school bus or the passengers in jeopardy; anything unexpected that could pose a threat for school bus safety.) Give me some examples of route hazards, situations that can pose a challenge on a route What are situations on your own route that might cause trouble?			I. Distribute agenda I.E. Write on flipchart I.F. Write on flipchart

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

NOTE: Where it is appropriate, add information about your policies and procedures for students with special needs. I. You may want to distribute the agenda as participants enter the training area. I.D. Ask the group the question. For your benefit, the correct answer is provided in italics. This format will be used through out the module. I.E. Ask participants to call out situations and record them on the flipchart. Keep the discussion focused on things outside the bus, not student management issues (see the module Student Management). Hazards can change depending on the season (e.g., snow drifts). Remember the definition of “hazard.” Hazards are those things that pose a threat to school bus safety. For example, not all route intersections are hazards but intersections that have limited sight or high crash occurrence are route hazards. Here are some possible situations. Ask participants to hold off problem-solving for a minute. For right now, you just want the ideas. Road conditions (e.g., dirt or gravel on the road, new potholes, frost heaves, washouts, low or non-existent shoulders on the road) High volume of traffic; congestion; rush hour The lay of the land: some hills; certain curves Sunlight; vehicle lights A high crash location; intersections New construction, jersey walls, restricted roadway The “odd thing” (something strange and unexpected: a drainage ditch, low wires or underpass, tree branches, temporary signs, flooding) Highway-rail grade crossings Wildlife Trees and shrubs that block the field of view Weather conditions (e.g., tornado, fog or flood area) Other vehicles: parked cars, disabled vehicles, trash trucks, moving vans, bikes Speeding cars; emergency vehicles People: pedestrians, joggers, parents or siblings waiting for bus