Your bus was left unattended between trips. What should you do before boarding passengers?
Correct answer: Check the interior again for damage and unsafe conditions
An unattended bus may have been damaged. Check the passenger area before using it, including rails, seats, floor covering and exits.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.3, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
A passenger seat rocks because its mounting is loose. What does this mean for the inspection?
Correct answer: The seat is not securely fastened and the defect needs correction
Passenger seats must be safe and securely fastened. A padded seat is not safe merely because its cushion looks sound.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.3, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
A rider places a carry-on bag in the aisle beside an empty seat. What should you require?
Correct answer: Move and secure the bag where it will not block the aisle
An aisle must remain clear of baggage that could trip people or obstruct their movement.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
Which loading arrangement is acceptable for carry-ons and freight?
Correct answer: One that keeps emergency exits usable and protects riders from shifting items
Secure baggage against falling or shifting while keeping emergency doors and windows accessible.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
During the interior check, a handrail pulls loose from its attachment. What is the correct assessment?
Correct answer: It is a safety defect, even if the bus brakes work properly
Handholds and railings must be in safe working condition. Other working systems do not make an insecure handrail safe.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.3, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
The bus has a passenger restroom with an emergency buzzer. What belongs in the interior inspection?
Correct answer: Checking that the restroom emergency buzzer works
The guide includes signaling devices and, when fitted, the restroom emergency buzzer in the passenger-area inspection.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.3, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
An emergency exit window has been left open on a bus ready to depart. What should happen?
Correct answer: Close it and ensure the emergency exit is in safe operating condition
Do not drive with an open emergency exit door or window. This is distinct from a roof hatch designed to lock partly open.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.3, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
What should be true of a bus emergency door's identification and fitted red door light?
Correct answer: The exit sign is visible and the red light works for use with outside lights
The emergency-exit sign must be visible. If the described red emergency-door light is fitted, the guide calls for it to work and be on at night or when outside lights are used.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.3, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
A roof hatch is designed to lock partly open for ventilation. What additional clearance issue must the driver consider?
Correct answer: The partly open hatch increases the bus's effective height
Some hatches permit a secured partly open position, but that raises the vehicle's clearance requirement. Do not make leaving them open a routine practice.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.4, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
Before beginning a bus trip, how should you use the driver's seat belt?
Correct answer: Fasten it before driving, including on a short trip
The guide directs the driver to use the seat belt. A short route does not remove the need for that protection.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.1.5, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
A large parcel fits beside the driver's seat but restricts access to the controls. May it remain there?
Correct answer: No; cargo must allow the driver to move freely and operate the bus
Baggage must not restrict the driver's movement or control of the vehicle. Cargo safety includes where it is secured, not only its contents.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2, physical PDF 75, printed 4-1. ↗
On a bus designed for standing riders, where must those riders remain relative to the standee line?
Correct answer: Behind the line marking the forward limit for standing passengers
The line or other marker keeps standing riders out of the area forward of the rear of the driver's seat.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2.3, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
At an intermediate destination stop, which information helps riders get off and return correctly?
Correct answer: The location, reason for stopping, next departure time and bus number
These announcements help riders understand the stop and identify the correct bus and departure.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2.4, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
The aisle is lower than the passenger seats. When is it best to remind riders about the step down at a stop?
Correct answer: Before the bus comes to a complete stop and riders start leaving
Warn riders about the change in floor level before they begin moving to get off.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2.4, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
Why does the guide advise charter drivers not to let riders board before departure time?
Correct answer: To reduce opportunities for theft or vandalism while the bus waits
Controlling early access helps protect the bus. It does not replace the inspection before departure.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2.4, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
When should a charter driver explain applicable passenger comfort and conduct rules?
Correct answer: At the start of the trip
Explaining the carrier's rules early helps avoid problems later. Do not wait for conflict to develop while driving.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.1, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
How should you monitor passengers while driving a bus?
Correct answer: Include brief interior checks while continuing to scan the road and mirrors
Passenger supervision is part of observation, but must not take away the driver's attention to the road around the bus.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.1, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
Passengers have just boarded a transit bus that permits standing. When should you start moving?
Correct answer: After they have sat down or braced themselves
Wait until riders are positioned safely. Starting while they are still unprepared increases the risk of a fall.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.2, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
Why are smooth starts and stops especially important in passenger service?
Correct answer: They help prevent riders from falling or being injured
Riders may be standing or moving within the allowed passenger area. Smooth control reduces sudden forces on them.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.2, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
A disruptive rider must leave the bus. What must you consider when choosing the place?
Correct answer: The rider's safety as well as the safety of the other passengers
Follow the carrier's procedures and do not discharge a person where it would be unsafe. A suitable scheduled or well-lit populated stop may be safer.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.2, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
You signal to leave a bus stop, but the approaching traffic leaves no safe gap. What should you do?
Correct answer: Wait for enough room to accelerate and merge safely
A signal communicates your intention; it does not prove another driver will make room. Account for the bus's acceleration and clearance.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.3, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
While positioning a bus at a stop, what clearance deserves particular attention?
Correct answer: Mirrors and the bus body near passing traffic, poles and tree limbs
The bus and its mirrors need enough space beside traffic and fixed objects when arriving at or leaving a stop.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.3, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
A curve's posted speed may be suitable for cars in good weather. What should a bus driver remember?
Correct answer: It may still be too fast for that bus and the current conditions
A bus may need a lower speed. Good traction does not prevent rollover, and poor traction can cause a slide.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.4, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
One train has cleared a crossing with several tracks. What should you check before proceeding with a bus?
Correct answer: That no other train is approaching on another track and the crossing is safe
A departing train can hide another train. Recheck all tracks and signals before moving.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.5, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
After the required stop, how must a covered bus with a manual transmission cross railroad tracks in Washington?
Correct answer: In a gear that permits crossing without a gear change on the tracks
Select a suitable gear before crossing. The rule prohibits shifting while crossing the track or tracks.
Source: RCW 46.61.350(2); current text reviewed September 13, 2026. ↗
A commercial bus carrying passengers approaches a Washington railroad grade crossing with no stop line and no applicable exemption. Where must it stop?
Correct answer: At least 15 feet and no more than 50 feet from the nearest rail
When no stop line is present, the required stopping interval is 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail. Look and listen before proceeding safely.
Source: RCW 46.61.350(1)(a); current text reviewed September 13, 2026. ↗
A Washington railroad crossing has a marked stop line. Your passenger-carrying commercial bus must stop and no exemption applies. Which instruction governs the stopping position?
Correct answer: Stop before the marked stop line
The Washington rule expressly uses the stop line when one is present. The 15-to-50-foot wording applies otherwise.
Source: RCW 46.61.350(1)(a); current text reviewed September 13, 2026. ↗
A bus approaches a drawbridge with no signal light and no traffic-control attendant. What does the guide require?
Correct answer: Stop at least 50 feet before the draw and check that it is completely closed
At an unguarded drawbridge, stop before the draw and confirm it is closed before crossing.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.6, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
At a drawbridge controlled by a traffic light showing green, what should the bus driver still do?
Correct answer: Slow down and make sure it is safe to cross
The guide's exception to the drawbridge stop does not remove the need to slow and verify a safe crossing.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.3.6, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
Why inspect passenger-area safety equipment at the end of a bus shift?
Correct answer: Riders may have damaged it, and reporting problems allows repairs before reuse
Check such items as handholds, seats, windows and emergency exits. The next driver should not inherit an unreported safety problem.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.4, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
A transit bus's open rear door activates its brake-door interlock. May you use that system instead of the parking brake?
Correct answer: No; the interlock is not a substitute for the parking brake
Closing the rear door releases the described interlock. Use the proper parking brake to secure the bus.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.6, physical PDF 78, printed 4-4. ↗
May a bus be refueled inside a closed building while riders remain on board?
Correct answer: No; the guide prohibits refueling in that situation
Avoid refueling with riders aboard unless absolutely necessary, and never do so in a closed building.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.5, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
A disabled bus has riders aboard, and unloading where it stopped would be unsafe. What limit applies to towing or pushing it with riders still aboard?
Correct answer: Move only to the nearest safe place to discharge the riders
The exception protects passengers from unsafe unloading, not from inconvenience. Follow the employer's recovery procedures and unload at the nearest safe spot.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.5, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
A passenger starts a conversation that requires you to turn away from the road. What should you do while driving?
Correct answer: Keep attention on driving and defer the distracting conversation
Do not engage in distracting conversations or other distracting activities while driving the bus.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.5, physical PDF 77, printed 4-3. ↗
Under the current federal DVIR rule alone, a covered bus driver discovers no defect and receives no defect report. Is a no-defect report required?
Correct answer: No; that federal provision does not require a report when no defect is found or reported
The current rule no longer requires a no-defect DVIR in this situation. That does not eliminate inspections, carrier policies or separate applicable requirements.
Source: 49 CFR 396.11(a)(2)(i); current text reviewed September 13, 2026. ↗
A covered carrier's bus has a reported defect likely to affect safe operation. What must happen before it is used again?
Correct answer: Repair the safety-affecting defect and provide the required repair certification
The carrier must repair safety-affecting defects before operation and certify the listed defects as repaired or repair unnecessary where that determination properly applies.
Source: 49 CFR 396.11(a)(3)(i)–(ii); current text reviewed September 13, 2026. ↗
May a bus subject to the federal tire rule operate with a retreaded tire on a front wheel?
Correct answer: No; retreaded, recapped and regrooved front tires are prohibited on buses
Adequate tread depth does not override the separate prohibition on these tire types on bus front wheels.
Source: 49 CFR 393.75(d); current text reviewed September 13, 2026. ↗
For a bus operation covered by the federal DVIR requirements, the driver discovers a steering defect during the day. What belongs in the end-of-day report?
Correct answer: Identification of the bus, the safety-affecting defect and the driver's signature
A discovered or reported defect affecting safety or risking mechanical breakdown belongs in the signed vehicle report.
Source: 49 CFR 396.11(a)(1), (a)(2)(i)–(ii); current text reviewed September 13, 2026. ↗
A rider offers a package that may contain a hazardous substance, but there is no visible hazard label. What should guide your decision to accept it?
Correct answer: Verify that the material is permitted; no label is not proof that it is safe cargo
Passengers can carry unlabeled hazardous materials. Do not accept hazardous cargo unless you are sure the applicable rules permit it; different substances and exceptions need separate checks.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.2.1–4.2.2, physical PDF 76, printed 4-2. ↗
On the transit system described in the guide, what does opening the rear door make the brake-and-accelerator interlock do?
Correct answer: Apply the brakes and hold the throttle at idle
The described interlock holds the bus through its brakes and idle throttle while the door is open. Closing the door releases it, so it is not a parking-brake replacement.
Source: Washington Commercial Driver Guide, N/10/20; section 4.6, physical PDF 78, printed 4-4. ↗
