When should the bus driver perform a safety check of the bus?
- Never (the mechanic does it)
- When it is convenient to do so
- Before the trip ✓
- During the trip
Answer: C. Before the trip
The bus driver should do the safety check before the trip.
Why this is the answer
The handbook describes the daily vehicle inspection, also called a circle check or pre-trip inspection, as the most effective way for a driver to confirm the bus is safe to operate, and it says this inspection is done before starting the day's trip. It also notes the inspection is required by law and must be completed every 24-hour period, with the vehicle's condition monitored during the trip. That makes a check before departure the required practice, not something left to chance or to a mechanic.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Never (the mechanic does it) — A mechanic may service the bus, but the handbook places the daily inspection duty on the driver, who must confirm the vehicle is in safe operating condition before starting the trip.
- B. When it is convenient to do so — Waiting until it is convenient does not fit the handbook's requirement to complete the inspection before starting the day's trip and every 24-hour period.
- D. During the trip — Checking only during the trip is too late; the handbook calls for the inspection before the trip and then monitoring the vehicle's condition while driving.
Remember it
Think of the circle check as the first thing you do with the bus each day, before it moves.
Official handbook: Official MTO Truck Handbook, Daily trip inspection — classes A and D