The school bus system is incredibly important in America, with many children using the system to get to school each and every day with the focus firmly being on the safety of all children and making sure people can get an education.
Of course, with a bus full of children, there is always going to be concerns for safety and because of that, there are many different laws in place for the buses, most of which all make sense.
However, as always with driving laws, some slightly strange and wacky rules and laws have slipped in that might not make much sense but still have to be followed and within this article, we will list ten examples of just that.
10 Deactivating A Bus Stop
Most people likely assume that the bus route that is determined at the start of each year doesn't change at any point unless of roadworks or weather problems, but that isn't the case as a driver can stop using a stop under a certain circumstance.
Should nobody appear at a bus stop for two weeks in a row, then a bus driver has the power to deactivate the stop and therefore will not turn up at any point again throughout the year unless being told otherwise.
Of course, this can be a problem for some if they are on vacation, but it is also something that everyone should take into consideration, especially those who are thinking about skipping out.
9 Drivers Cannot Ban Anyone
The only people who truly know what happens inside the school bus is the driver and the children on board and sometimes, the kids can make life hell for the driver who is trying to focus on a lot of different things all at once.
This issue is something that the drivers have to take seriously and many would think that they have the power to stop someone from entering the bus who they know is a major trouble maker, but that isn't the case.
In fact, the drivers actually have no power in that regards outside of simply notifying the school principal, who is then in charge of making the decision instead.
8 Half Tank Rule
For most people when driving, seeing that they have half a tank left is not a cause for concern as it really is more than enough fuel to continue driving for quite some time, give or take some exceptions based on the car in question.
However, certain states have a law that will make half a tank feel like the panic zone for bus drivers, as there is a "no bus under half a tank" policy, meaning whenever one drops below it needs to be heading to be refuelled.
Whilst it makes sense to keep the bus topped up as much as possible to ensure it never gets stuck, half a tank does feel like a very excessively early point of panic.
7 Daily Ritual
Most people probably think that when a bus driver has dropped all of the children off that they are done and able to relax, but that isn't the case, as there is a law that keeps them busy for just a little while longer.
The drivers have to embark on a daily routine where they walk the length of the bus in order to make sure there are no stragglers, ensuring nobody is hiding or sleeping in their seats.
Whilst you might think the driver could just look, the buses have magnetic signs at the front and back of the bus that they have to stick up to show in order to prove they have done the job correctly.
6 A Driver Can't Help During Medical Emergency
Bus drivers have a rule set in place that they are not allowed to physically touch any of the children onboard their bus, which makes perfect sense for the safety of those onboard and to protect the driver from any potential issues.
However, whilst the law makes sense in principle, like many things in practice it isn't quite as effective. The drivers are not allowed to get involved if a fight breaks out, meaning they can't physically separate those involved.
Even more concerning, the drivers cannot help in the event of a medical emergency, with drivers instead, having to just give advice and quickly drive the bus to school or home, depending on what is closer, which seems like it could be very costly.
5 No Livestock Allowed
Another bizarre law that is in place in regards to school buses is one that is specific to Florida, where a law states that no livestock can be put onto a school bus to be transported at all.
The chances of a child walking into their school bus with some livestock seem like a situation that is never going to happen, however, Florida is clearly taking no risks by making it illegal for anyone to do it.
Whilst it would likely be up to the driver themselves to stop it from happening, the law is there for everyone to follow and is likely done in order to prevent any possible diseases being passed along.
4 The Color Yellow
Typically, when you think about a school bus, the first thing that springs to mind is the classic yellow bus that you see in all the movies or an episode of The Simpsons, but not every bus is that color.
However, in Virginia, there is actually a law that states the school buses must be yellow and absolutely no other color, apart from on the roof where the bus is allowed to be white as well.
This is likely a safety precaution as yellow certainly stands out brightly on the road for other drivers to see, but this is the only place that specifies the color.
3 The Seatbelt Situation
You would think that considering the buses are taking children with them, that safety would be the absolute paramount, which is why it is actually surprising that the vast majority of buses in America do not have any seat belts on them.
The reason for that is because it is not actually the law to have them applied, which is something that shocks a lot of people and does seem like a strange decision as it would certainly increase the safety element of the drive.
Currently, only six states have legislation passed that requires school buses to have seat belts which are; California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and New York, according to School Bus Fleet magazine.
2 Students Need A Note To Switch Seats
You would think that the children would be able to sit wherever they wanted to when they get onto the school bus, sitting with their friends or neighbours, however, that isn't the reality of the situation.
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It is actually the bus driver who is in charge of assigning seats, and those are not allowed to change throughout the year unless the driver decides to split people up and move them due to behavior problems.
But, there is just one more way that a child can get themselves moved, but it requires a note from their parent with a strong reason to convince the driver, who really is in charge of everything inside the bus.
1 Bus Drivers Enjoy Free Perks
Most people who work in the school industry enjoy a few perks, and one of the biggest ones is field trips, with teachers and classroom assistants being paid to visit some incredible locations at times.
Well, it isn't just the teachers who have that perk, as school bus drivers also get free admission at whichever event they have to drive to in order to be part of the fun, which is a brilliant perk.
As well as that, bus drivers must be provided with a free lunch, which is normally a major positive, unless the school is eating somewhere horrible.