NC Education Code · Regulation
Title 16 — root / Chapter 06 — 16 NCAC 06B .0111
Plain English summary
This regulation requires local education agencies (LEAs) to provide school bus safety instruction to all students within the first five days of each school year and at least once per semester thereafter, with documentation of each training session. LEAs must enforce passenger capacity limits, seating requirements, and standardized North Carolina crossing signals for bus drivers. Safety instruction must also be provided for students riding activity buses or commercial buses, including emergency exit demonstrations.
Key requirements
- LEAs shall provide instruction in school bus safety to all students during the first five days of each new school year and at least once during each semester thereafter.
- LEAs shall document the date on which training was provided to each student.
- Instruction shall include basic skills in and knowledge of safe behaviors in and around school buses and bus stops, including how to safely walk to school bus stops, wait at bus stops, load and unload from buses, ride in buses, cross streets at a bus stop, and recognize and obey the North Carolina crossing signals.
- Instruction shall include instruction in the location and operation of emergency exits for the vehicle on which they are riding for any specific trip.
- LEAs shall not allow the number of passengers being transported to exceed the official rated capacity for the specific vehicle being used.
- LEAs shall ensure that all passengers are seated within the seating compartment, when any bus or other vehicle is in motion.
- LEAs shall ensure that no passenger is standing or sitting in the aisle or stepwell when any bus or other vehicle is in motion.
- LEAs shall require school bus drivers to utilize the North Carolina crossing signals described in Parts (a)(1)(A) and (B) of this Rule to communicate to students when it is safe to cross the street to board the bus and when it is safe to cross the street after exiting the bus.
- LEAs shall provide safety instruction to students riding in activity buses or commercial buses, including instruction and demonstration of emergency exit operation for the specific vehicle in which they are riding.
Affected parties
- Local education agencies (LEAs)
- Students
- School bus drivers
- Activity bus passengers
- Commercial bus passengers