1. Session 4: Turnabout
(Picture/Graphic)

2. Turnabout
• Approach Mirror CheckApproach Mirror Check
– As with loading and
unloading procedures, the
purpose of this mirror
check is to familiarize
yourself with the unique
aspects of the surrounding
traffic situation for the
turnabout maneuver.
– The Turnabout is always
done backing down a side
road on the right hand side.
This means that there are
3 directions of traffic to be
concerned about; Forward,
right side (backing), and
behind.
Front
Right Side
(Backing)
Rear

3. Turnabout
• Activate the Hazard lightsActivate the Hazard lights
– Activate your Hazard Lights
from between 100-300 feet
of your desired turnabout
starting position.
– By activating your hazard
lights you are signaling the
surrounding traffic that you
are intending to perform a
cautionary maneuver.
“Back-up” lights do not
illuminate until the moment
that the gear selector is
placed in reverse which
won’t be until after you
come to a complete stop.

4. Turnabout
• Courtesy “Brake Tap”Courtesy “Brake Tap”
– As you approach the
desired starting position,
tap the brakes lightly in
order to cause your brake
lights to briefly come on.
– This step is performed in
order to give any vehicles
behind your bus a visual
“heads up” that you are
planning on coming to a
stop soon.

5. Turnabout
• Stop just beyond theStop just beyond the
“Backing” road“Backing” road
– Pull just beyond the road
onto which you will back.
The rear axle should be
slightly beyond parallel with
the right edge of the road
you will be backing onto.
– Visually check the
“Backing” road as you pass
by it to familiarize yourself
with the dimensions of the
road, to identify any
potential backing hazards,
and to look for any traffic
that may be coming down
that road.

6. Turnabout
• Secure the BusSecure the Bus
– Apply the “Parking Brake”
then shift the gear selector
into “Neutral”
– Some drivers tend to skip
this step and put the gear
selector directly into
“Reverse”. Remember that
if at all possible, you should
use a student helper to
visually identify any
potential backing hazards.
Securing the bus makes for
a safe environment for the
student to get up and move
to the back of the bus if
need be.

7. Turnabout
• Keep your right foot onKeep your right foot on
the service brake pedalthe service brake pedal
– Even though the bus is
“Secured” maintain foot
pressure on the service
brake pedal until such time
when it becomes
necessary to do otherwise.
– This is an extra precaution
to make sure that the bus
does not inadvertently
move.

8. Turnabout
• Set the Patrol / VerballySet the Patrol / Verbally
establish a “Clear” path.establish a “Clear” path.
– Once you have secured
the bus, ask a trusted
student to get up and go to
the back of the bus to act
as your observer. Check
with the student verbally to
ensure that the way is
clear.
– Selecting the proper
student can be crucial to
the success of your
backing maneuver.
Choose only students
whose judgment can be
trusted. If no student is
available use extra caution
during your backing
maneuver.

9. Turnabout
• Un-secure the busUn-secure the bus
– While maintaining pressure
on the service brake, shift
the gear selector into
“Reverse” then release the
“Parking Brake.”
– The order of these steps is
critical to the safety of your
bus, the students, and the
surrounding traffic and
particularly if you are
performing your backing
maneuver in hilly or
mountainous terrain.

10. Turnabout
• Second verbal “Clear”Second verbal “Clear”
– Immediately after placing
the bus in “Reverse” and
releasing the “Parking
Brake” ask the student
helper a second time “Is it
clear?”
– Field experience has
shown that even though it
only takes a short period of
time between the two
“Clears”, very often cars
will have approached the
back of your bus from the
road that you are intending
to back onto in that short
amount of time.

11. Turnabout
• Check mirrors / BeginCheck mirrors / Begin
backingbacking
– Check your mirrors to
ensure that you see no
hazards and then ease
your foot off of the service
brake pedal and begin
backing very slowly.
– Do not use the accelerator
unless absolutely
necessary. In most
situations, simply relieving
the pressure off of the
service brake pedal while
maintaining “Brake cover”
with your right foot provides
adequate motion to safely
complete your backing
maneuver. Watch the right
convex mirror as you back.

12. Turnabout
• Final positionFinal position
– Your final position should
be in the center of the lane
as if you were driving in it
or stopping at the stop
sign.
– Distance from the stop sign
does not matter as long as
the bus is behind any white
stop lines, painted
crosswalks, or assumed
crosswalks. Remember
that if a load or unload is
done at the turnabout
location that proper
procedure dictates that you
“Load before backing” and
“Back before unloading”.

13. Turnabout
• Secure the busSecure the bus
– Once the backing
maneuver is complete, set
the “Parking Brake” and
place the gear selector to
“Neutral”.
– Though you might be
tempted to continue on with
your left turn after stopping,
remember that you may
need to ask your student
helper to return to their
seat. Securing the bus
provides the student with
the safest possible
environment in which to
transit through the bus and
back to their seat.

14. Turnabout
• De-activate the HazardDe-activate the Hazard
lightslights
– The whole purpose of the
turnabout is to change your
direction of travel. In order
to do this you will need to
make a left turn back onto
the road from which you
started.
– You must de-activate your
hazard lights in order for
any traffic now behind you
to be able to see your
intended signal to turn left.

15. Turnabout
• Activate your left turnActivate your left turn
signalsignal
– Activating your left turn
signal indicates your
intention to turn to the
surrounding traffic.
– It is a very common
mistake to forget to de-
activate the hazard lights
after the turnabout
maneuver. Failure to de-
activate the hazard lights
can result in many more
points unnecessarily lost
on the road test.

16. Turnabout
• Mirrors / Traffic CheckMirrors / Traffic Check
– As your intention is to turn
left, do a proper “Mirror and
Traffic Check” looking all
around the bus for any
hazards.
– If your turnabout included
an unload, be sure to look
carefully for students in the
“Danger Zone” just as you
would during a normal
unload. Remember,
always “Load before
backing and Back before
unloading.”

17. Turnabout
• Left TurnLeft Turn
– If need be, pull up to the
proper stop location and
stop so that you have
adequate visibility in order
to safely make a left turn.
Check traffic in both
directions. If the way is
clear, make your turn.
– Remember to come to a
complete stop. Do not be
tempted to “Roll through”
the stop even though
visibility may seem
adequate. Traffic
situations can change very
quickly and make sure to
check BEHIND the mirrors
as well!

18. Turnabout
• Common maneuverCommon maneuver
mistakes: Widemistakes: Wide
– Some drivers tend to wait
too late to begin turning the
steering wheel clockwise.
The end result is “going
wide” or extending the bus
too far before turning.
– Making this mistake could
cause you to either have
the rear wheels leave the
road or have the front
wheels leave the road as
you begin to attempt to
“straighten out” the bus.
The wheels leaving the
road during the maneuver
results in an automatic
failure of a road test.

19. Turnabout
• Common maneuverCommon maneuver
mistakes: Lane Positionmistakes: Lane Position
– The ideal finishing position
for the backing maneuver
should be properly in the
lane as if stopping at a
“Stop” sign and far enough
back so that if any students
had to cross, they would
not walk into the road in
front of you with an
extended crossing gate
taken into account.
– The bus should not be
significantly across the
yellow dividing lines in the
center of the road. Nor
should it be “off the road”
on the shoulder to your
right.

20. Turnabout
• Common maneuverCommon maneuver
mistakes: not Parallelmistakes: not Parallel
– As with “Lane Position”,
your finishing position
should be properly in the
lane and evenly spaced in
between the yellow dividing
lines and the white guide
line on the right side of the
road.
– “Parallel” means that the
entire side of the bus
should be even with either
or both the yellow dividing
lines in the center of the
road and the white guide
line to the right.

21. Turnabout
• Common maneuverCommon maneuver
mistakes: Pull-upsmistakes: Pull-ups
– A “Pull-up” is a change in
direction made by placing
the bus in “Drive” in order
to make adjustments
during the maneuver.
– Using one pull-up during
the backing maneuver is
permissible but using two
pull-ups constitutes an
automatic failure of a road
test.