When should the bus driver perform a safety check of the bus?
- When it is convenient to do so
- Never (the mechanic does it)
- Before the trip ✓
- During the trip
Answer: C. Before the trip
The bus driver should perform the safety check before the trip.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says NSC commercial vehicles must be inspected before they are used each day, and it calls these pre-trip inspections. For a bus, the pre-trip inspection section describes checking the bus before driving it. The driver also shares responsibility for making sure the inspection is done correctly; it is not something left to convenience or only to a mechanic. So the safety check belongs before the trip begins.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. When it is convenient to do so — A safety check is not something to do only when it is convenient; the handbook requires it before the vehicle is used each day.
- B. Never (the mechanic does it) — The mechanic alone does not cover it; the handbook says the driver or another specified person must do the inspections, and the driver shares responsibility.
- D. During the trip — A check during the trip comes after the bus has already been used, while the required inspection is a pre-trip check before driving.
Remember it
Think of the name: pre-trip means before you pull out.