School Bus vs Railroad Crossing - Educational Video

[chris40539]

nice horn on that locomotive

[dannyboy19021]

our buses stop but for half a second and don't open windows or doors and one time in Wise Co. Virginia bus number 31 didn't stop and the gates were going down

[robertgift]

When driver can see well down both directions, as in first scene, I favor NOT stopping.

Stopping increases risk of rearend impact or of collisions of vehicles behind.

Stopping wasts fuel, makes more pollution, wears brakes, transmission and engine.

[SuperDuckman24]

I like this video, I wish they would show this on the news!!!

[LNERMallard]

Nice Alco RS!

[ericerock1000]

The bus drivers who stopped are idiots because they actually didn't open their doors.

[xbfalcon351coupe]

So do you have a law that all buses stop whether or not a train is coming? Thats weird...kinda makes the lights obsolete, and I could see it causing crashes if other cars don't need to stop (cars, BTW , that might also be carrying kids..) in Australia we don't have that law. julenjjj commented, too, that a bus `trapped in traffic' was not the drivers fault - here that IS illegal - you are not allowed to enter a crossing unless you can see that there is sufficient room for your car on other side

[JeepGuy80]

@xbfalcon351coupe The lights are to warn all drivers... Buses can carry as many as 60 people... Imagine if they didn't stop and the lights had malfunctioned... 60 kids go into the grave.

[bait28]

Holy shit. Buses would be destroyed here cause the main Lines coming through here, trains at least are going 65 When coming through cause it's a 12 mile stretch of straight track. Also the crossing gates go off really early on those lines. We also have an Escape lane for if you are stuck somehow.

[Natural711]

qiq you guys need the canadian track system. Acutal bars come down 1-2 mins before the train arrives, preventing any vehicles from passing.

[JeepGuy80]

@Natural711 We have crossing bars in a lot of areas... I don't know why they don't at all, and I agree, however, we do have them.

[ericerock1000]

Give Bus 64 Credit, are you crazy, whoever the driver was should have stayed stop when the train sounded it's horn, even though the crossing is not yet activated, and should proceed when the train has passed and when the signal has turned off.

[geomodelrailroader]

if these bus drives get caught say good bye to the CDL's the proper way to preform a crossing stop is 1. turn off radio, 2. turn on flashers or pickup lights 3. come to a complete stop and park 4.open doors and windows 5. cross if no train shows up. wait if their is one. just like hazmat all busses including transit and school have to stop at all weigh stations and crossings.

[ericerock1000]

Why would you give bus 64 credit when she should have been stayed stopped until the train has passed even though the crossing signals haven't been activated yet?

[chris40539]

somewhere between 2:45 and 2:59 was thata train horn or lawn mower engine?

[JeepGuy80]

@chris40539 Train horn

[dmaniac78]

Thank God for people like you who take the time to point out the people who are going to get our children killed just by being lazy!!!

[RobloxRoadgeeking]

we got in an accident cause our driver didn't -_- look i wasn't hurt i was the bus monitor and my first words that came out my mouth whenn we wreck was "DARN IT!!!"

[RobloxRoadgeeking]

we got in an accident cause our driver didn't -_-  look i wasn't hurt i was the bus monitor and my first words that came out my mouth whenn we wreck was "DAMN IT!!!"

[blobdy]

don't know what it's like there but here school buses stop at all uncontrolled railway crossings. the lights make those crossings controlled so my bus would not stop either i would slow down, look both ways then keep on trucking.

[lamborghiniking26]

i used to have video my bus driver nearly getting hit by work train b4 my princible erased it (messed up distric no?) the gates went down than up and then down but by they went down the second time OUR ROOF WAS GETTING SMASHED BY A GATE! LITERATLY 1 SEC OR WE WOULD HAVE DIED!

[MrANumber1]

Good job to the smart bus driver!! Neat old ALCO, too.

[MrANumber1]

Cool old Alco, I didn't know railroads still used them! Good job to the smart bus driver!!

[billy5853]

the bus driver that don't stop should get fired because this stuff is serious trains could hit you speacially amtreks

[LARDLOGO]

Thank you for also adding the train at the end look at the idiot bus drivers i am glad my bus does not pass any railroad crossings on my route

[jpcarm67]

My old bus bus driver did'n come to a Complete stop did'n put the four way flashers but would somtimes open the dore somtimes not but he would still look both ways before crossing. so How mush would you give him ni points

[JeepGuy80]

@jpcarm67 I'd give a 5 for effort lol

[renkn]

Those two idiots in the Caterpillar service trucks illegally passed the bus on a double solid line.

[asamojomaster]

i dont know if you heard about the deadly crash in san antonio in 1939 where a school bus stalled on railroad tracks and was hit killing everyone even the driver on board

[4202EJW]

I think everything should stop at a railroad crossing. Even I stop when am in my car.

[MissTinkJordan]

WOW ~ all I can say Is i hope to god you turned this tape over to the district that employed these drivers , In the district I retired from This would be Instant Termination No If's ands or but's about it...This was hard for me to watch because of the anticipation of the unknown in the seconds following the crossings I've sat at crossings where the sensors were inadequate ( like seconds before it crossed the tracks and with a bus full of kids who often don't shut up despite the lights on... SMH

[mrpanitz]

cop would have a field day! and probally get writer cramp

[airbusandmustang]

Wow. Never noticed such bad bus drivers. I was once on a small gravel road in Montana and there was this crossing (wasn't marked besides the simple "X" with "Railroad Crossing" on it) and so I drove over it and a freight train was only 100 FT down the tracks. It was scary. Luckily, the train was moving slow. But it didn't even blow it's horn so sometimes conductors can be at blame too. There were trees, so you couldn't see down the track until you crossed.

3:56 - Dangerous left turn location.

[TheReachKings]

That is not good to stop on the tracks like that

[WARD5KUSTOMZ]

even if im in my personal vehicle if i hear the trains horn im stoping and looking. i dont care how many people get mad. im not risking my luife just to be 1 minute ahead of schedule!

[mustange550]

Lights are very hard to see and the bell impossible to hear from inside a car or BUS. They need to update this crossing! LED Lights work best

[RustySax]

JeepGuy -

FYI, in many states buses are NOT required to stop at RR crossings IF they are "deadheading" - that is, the only person on the bus is the driver, no passengers at all.

Hard to tell from the video, but it's possible that the three buses that blew the crossing were, in fact, empty. If so, probably legal.

If not, then three drivers may be out of work.

[JeepGuy80]

@RustySax True in some states, however; our County school board along with the state set the rules/laws for all buses to stop... Even when empty, it's good practice. Sometimes bus drivers get distracted due to loud children, or something else going on and the noise on the bus can prohibit the driver from hearing a train, and thats if the train operator does his job to blow the horn.

[ColonelMarksman]

But I must admit though, rules are rules, and a bus driver failing to abide by the rules should be punished.

[ColonelMarksman]

Oh that's weird... no boom barrier. Anyway, some rare tragedy happens and all of the sudden the government has to pass a law about it. It's rather obvious that not stopping on the railroad tracks without breaking down or trying to cut around the bars isn't a good idea, let alone illegal. Maybe my state (Texas) is just pampered but I've never seen an American crossing, even in the middle of Colorado, without a boom barrier.

[Rtchugg]

BAD man Bad!

[sparkygl0s]

Why have a law which says buses have to stop, when other vehicles don't? That makes no sense to me. Do many buses get rear-ended when stopping at crossings?

[tomhulcelover]

@sparkygl0s because cars are faster and they are half the size of a school bus duhhh. plus its way diffrent when the bus is filled with innocent little kids

[tomhulcelover]

@sparkygl0s because cars are faster and they are half the size of a school bus duhhh. plus its way diffrent when the bus is filled with innocent little kids

[Kleman09]

@sparkygl0s The buses are carrying precious cargo. Even hazzardous material trucks have to stop.

[xPinkStrifex]

@sparkygl0s the law is there because in a bus you can carry 60+ people...even a big SUV can max out at 7. And if someone rear ends a 50' bright yellow BUS then they kind of deserve it. I mean it's not hard to miss....I think everyone should stop at crossings.

[tspencer2000]

@sparkygl0s No, not if the bus driver does it right - hazard warning lights on between 100 - 300 (school district and/or state law requirement - DOT says at least 100 ) feet before stopping. Driver's window open. Service door open - LOOK! LISTEN! - if no train, close door, proceed, turnoff hazard lights when clear of tracks - close driver's window at driver's preference or convenience after that.

[JeepGuy80]

@sparkygl0s Not when they use their Amber lights and four way flashers 200 feet prior to stopping like they're suppose to.

[sparkygl0s]

Why have a law which says buses have to stop, when other vehicles don't? That makes no sense to me.  Do many buses get rear-ended when stopping at crossings?

[sparkygl0s]

Why have a law which says buses have to stop, when other vehicles don't? That makes no sense to me. Do many buses get rear-ended when stopping at crossings?

[iluvyurbles]

missed a step stop, look litsen live.

[robertgift]

If I can see well down the track in both directions, I would not stop the bus.

Doing so creates MORE of a hazard: of being rear-ended and of destroying momentum of carrying the bus across the track - what if engine stalls just as you start to cross?

Much fuel wasted, pollution generated and wear and tear.

[Seekanddestroy1ful]

butiful alco

[julienjjj]

the photo we see on the begin are taken from a tragic accident that happenned few years ago, but it wasnt driver fault, the bus was trapped in the traffic.

A bus driver failing to stop at a crossing should loose its licence

[ConnorandDaniel]

Easy enough!

Bus drivers should open the door and window.

Car and truck drivers should open a window on both sides.

[RamTerritory]

LOL ALL THE BUSES ARE THE SAME

[miked9372]

3:10 thats how you stop at a crossing good job!

[tjs468]

my bus driver does not stop at the railroad crossing.

[gibb1991]

@tjs468 I would report them.

[diazpepe]

3:43 he open the door for hear better ,thats good.

[smitty195]

That's great that you took the time to do this!

[BlowoutBob]

wow..today my bus driver stoped and looked(there was a train coming) and then the lights went off and the gates were coming down...the bus driver floored it and the gates almost hit the top of the bus. I could see the train's ditch lights flashing and the horn blowing. What was most scary is that these trains are going 45-50mph and it was only 8 seconds until the train came flying by.

[ivvio]

Did you forward a copy of this video to the school district and the highway patrol?

[JeepGuy80]

Yes, The school board of education transportation division did get information on this. The bus drivers seemed to be pretty pissed, but that's not my problem. :o)

[trainmaster500]

@JeepGuy80 lol did you follow up on it since then... I would love to have been there to see them get their knuckles rasped!

[larrywalkerntbi]

@JeepGuy80 I'm a school bus driver in Tennessee, have been for five year, and I applaud you. Not all of us are lousy drivers, but I will admit, there are quite a few. Keep up the good work, it really does have an effect.

[benschlechter]

@ivvio Those bus drivers that were caught in the video, what kind of disciplinary measures were taken? If they weren't fired, what was the worst penalty received for not stopping at the crossings?

[haynes1776]

Seeing that video just angers me. Im sorry if I was a bus driver I will stop,open my door and window and listen for trains before crossing. yes the drivers who dont stop are putting those students lives at risk. The bus could break down any time. school children to a bus driver are like hazardous material. "precious cargo". Being a truck driver I hauled hazardous cargo all the time and I stop at railroad crossings and I dont move until its safe. if people dont like it:tough. Safety first.

[NativeTexan5843]

A school bus train accident almost happened to me a few years ago in Ohio when the bus driver stopped on the tracks and there was a train coming, luckily the bus was off the tracks when the train came through the crossing

[silliegirl50]

Hummm Endangered speices Children?

[georgerouse]

Bus 45 did not stop long enough to double check the left & right windows & doors NOR did the bus stop in front of the white line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[X0n3]

crazy americans :)

[lbss09]

Great job with this video. I do hope you submited it to the Transportaion Administrators and School board personel for the school districts you were filming in, as well as the local news. Preasure from news media is always a factor in how schools handle situations like this.

[anthonykorsen007]

The chances of a bus getting stuck or stalling are GREATLY increased when it's just accelerating. Why come to a complete stop when you're already moving at 30+ mph? You'll make it over the tracks a LOT faster, and if your engine suddenly dies or your brakes magically lock up, you're more likely to coast to safety. No one else stops when there are no signals.That guy at 4:50 ignored them, he's retarded.

[JeepGuy80]

True in some cases, however, most accidents happen when the driver mis-judges the speed of the train... Also, (not in this case) buses are hit when the train is coming around a turn/bend - and is not seen.

[MissTinkJordan]

The 65 screaming reasons behind the drivers seat Is enough for me to just say NO

In Train vs Auto...... Auto NEVER wins.....

[iceman977th]

@anthonykorsen007 Considering most buses are automatic tranny's nowadays, that probably won't happen as much. The way I see it though, they should only allow buses to cross at protected crossings (with gates)

[skyhop]

@anthonykorsen007

Because saving a few seconds isn't worth risking the lives of 60-80 people.

[Kleman09]

@anthonykorsen007 Its better to stall off the crossing and have your children safe and sound than to keep moving forward and get hit by an oncoming train...

[tspencer2000]

@anthonykorsen007 - For one, it's the LAW - a Federal DOT requirement that ALL buses stop at railroad crossings (as do all HazMat trucks); the Feds do permit EMPTY buses to not stop, but most states' laws preempt that waiver. STOP, LOOK and most importantly LISTEN! That's why many states now have a requirement for a switch that will cut power to ALL accessories - fans, blowers, AM/FM/CD, even the two-way. Now, if they could just attach it to the KIDS...

[Shirazae]

@anthonykorsen007

I both agree and disagree with your post. on one hand, stopping before a railroad crossing and then crawling across the tracks is just begging to get stuck

but then, I grew up around trains. I always know if one's around even if I can't see it. that being said, the law doesn't exist to irritate people like me - it exists to protect passengers from the drivers who can somehow be completely unaware of a nearby train

[samdietiker]

good thing i dont take the bus

[AEMoreira81]

I thought all buses were supposed to stop at crossings (school and commercial buses)...apparently at 1:23, the driver doesn't care.

Normally, I see the bus stop momentarily (putting on four-ways) and then proceeding.

[busdriverwilliamson]

I read through the comments and none defended the bus drivers. I posted a couple of videos of bus drivers running the tracks w/o stopping and a bunch of bus drivers got on there and tried to excuse the behavior.

[DioHolyDiver83]

Well Done With The Shot........

[snickpickle]

Having been a school bus driver in MN, I would say that only the blue bus did the appropriate stop! The others were all "slow-n-go" drivers. We had to hit the 4-way flashers, come to a complete stop, open door and driver's window, then proceed. I saw virtually nothing of the sort, save the blue bus. Thanks for posting this! Good job! Yet I'm sad you had to...

[DingeZZ]

Bad railroad crossings. No barriers just a soft bell and hardly visible lights. No wonder you have to stop to look for trains.

[s0caltrukker]

Did you send a copy of this video to the school board? Also the state DOT?

[Porow501]

Wow. Some bus drivers just don't listen for trains. They should always watch out, especially when they have passengers. I'm sorry to all those bus drivers out there who may have read this.

[zusca100]

its ok dude i get ur point im a bus driver and i always watch for the train

[SpikyDragoness]

Wow. No concern at all for the safety of those kids. Scary. I remember being on a field trip once in middle school and razzing the bus driver because she stopped for a crossing when the train was a mile down the tracks and the lights weren't going yet. We should have been thankful she was doing her job properly! Kids. >.>

[Chernabog135]

yay for THE GUY WHO FOLLOWS THE LAW

[ss3333]

These kind of bus drivers endanger all passengers.

[Baltimora1957]

Dude's that's just insane. Children or not the driver needs to obey rules. Today while on the way to my dads I was driving through West Wyoming PA and there was a city bus in front of me that stopped at tracks that aren't even in use anymore. Talk about doing your job properly.

[Hawqis1]

In NY we are required to stop at all tracks except for 3 kinds. Sign saying track is exempt, a flagman or police officer is present at the track, or there is a green traffic light, red for the train. If the light is any other color than green, you must stop, open door & window, look and listen, then proceed when safe.

[greenmouse84]

I live in Arizona the state with the worst drivers. I drive a handicap bus. We are not required to stop at railroads but we have posted the sticker on the back and we do just to be safe. If my bus was to stall on the tracks it would take me up to 5 minutes just to untie a wheelchair and unload the passenger.We stop at RR crossing whether we have passengers or not. Just to be in the habit of doing it. These drivers need to be fired. There is no excuse but recklessness.

[ethen24]

I ride the city bus and the driver scared me last month when he decided to floor it over the tracks just as the crossing gates came down. Luckily the train wasn't going that fast... Don't get me wrong though, he is a good bus driver. He always stops at the crossing and checks to see if a train was coming or not just like a bus driver should, but that one day he must have been in a hurry or something.....

[mdntaz]

Hello. I drive a school bus and I know that all of our buses stop at all tracks at all times. I'm not sure where you live, but I know that in New Mexico, the law says that if the bus is empty with NO passengers that the bus DOES NOT have to stop at the tracks. However, it looks as though these buses have just left a school. I think it is wrong and VERY un-safe!!!

[casiey258]

i think they should still have to stop!!!! Even after they are empty... and i think that if a train is comming a bus should HAVE 2 STOP anyway.

[rolls283]

agreed

[zusca100]

im a school bus driver and im in illinois we have to stop at the tracks even if were empty and plus they have sensors on our buses that tell hq that we stopped or did not stop at the tracks and if we dont we get stuck in one of our old wayne lifestars that are getting sold after this year for 2 more thomas c2's

[CP359]

Patrick,

Excellent, but frightening, video. Those bus drivers violated both state and federal laws, regardless of what the school board indicates. Your state education department, state pupil transportation authorities, local law enforcement, and the trainmaster or public safety representative of those railroads need to see those videos, as well as the parent-teacher associations for those school districts. These bus drivers need some serious training before there's a tragedy.

Dave

[fordoffroad1987]

I had a small bus run the gates when we were switching...gates were down MAYBE 5 minutes. Cop right behind him. (got what's comin) A big one to watch for is HAZMAT trucks...I have stopped a train to get after a hazmat truck stopped ON the tracks due to traffic. Lucky we were yard limits. Great video

[Alex49railfan]

my old bus driver does'n put his four way signal and somtimes does'n open the door and slow down to like 4KM/h and looks realy fast

[andywatson55]

The school bus drivers should be urged not to do that.

[crissean]

I guess this video is a little strange for me because in California, we have the bars that come down and prevent you from driving through the track if a train is coming. Seems a little dangerous not to have the crossing signal bars.

[railmaniak]

Drivers in a word idiots (not all certainly) at us in Russia trains constantly force down people and all it because of their carelessness or to indifference on a coming nearer train and machines at us is rare when forces down drivers observe rules on a railway crossing and why at you so many school buses?

[railfanner91019]

My mom's a bus driver, even when she doesnt have kids, she still stops, sometimes she doesnt realize it and stops in her truck. lol

[clothesthedryer]

I drove a school bus for years while my girls were small- I still stop sometimes in the car and ppl are like ???? Every kid who ever stepped onto my bus was 'my' kid.

[flexspinner]

even if ya tie u loose

[cooldit1]

first bus is a disabled persons bus, if it stalled, and a train was coming there would be no time to get the people in wheelchairs out easily. That bus driver is a dipshit, all of the drivers are dipshits that dont stop when they have a vehicle full of children

[Trainman11185]

I like the P3 horn on that train

[watchnu2]

I hope all of the buses you filmed not stopping--that the drivers were fired immediatly. That is neglect of their duty to safely transport. Zero tolerance of this kind of action regardless of whether a train was approaching or not.

[keepup32323]

GOOD you can see by this vid the stubbornees of the drivers at a non-gated level crossing

but only bells are not enough to hold driver's patience They should make a maintance on the signal and set gates as soon...

[HighIronofWisconsin]

Just to play devil's advocate here, is it possible that the busses that don't stop are "deadheading"-that is, not carrying any children at the time, and could that exempt them from stopping, at least in the eyes of the school board? If not, there is no excuse because the crossing is clearly nowhere near a light protected intersection and is not marked EXEMPT.

[JeepGuy80]

The buses were full of children in most of the buses, however; only a few were empty. According to the board of education... they're required to stop within 15 feet of ALL crossings... even when empty.

[HighIronofWisconsin]

I see. In that case, yikes! Hope they get their asses fired.

[CapPicard]

@JeepGuy80 I know it's law here in Kansas that school buses have to stop at all crossings. Abit inconvenient, but better safe than sorry.

Especially crossing such a busy line as the UP one through Edwardsville and Kansas City, KS (the same line that goes from Goodland and parallels I-70 the entire way).

[PossessedDonutz]

dont matter, the federal and state laws overrule the school board an d staff, i hope these drivers get hit--- without kids on the bus though, by a giant UP SD9043MAC

[MissTinkJordan]

@HighIronofWisconsin deadheading is not an excuse for exemption only crossings that are cemented over and signs and stop arms removed but if in doubt

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure especially when it comes to human lives...

[Kleman09]

@HighIronofWisconsin The law is clearly printed on the bus...The bus must stop at all railroad crossings and drivers behind the bus must stop for the bus as well. I am a volunteer at an organization that runs a steam train and i have seen several close calls!

[bnsfmanifests]

I have to give you a total thumbs up for that. Some of those drivers in the beginning also looked like they were slamming on their brakes, you know, locking up all the wheels,not even opening up the doors to look and listen, and just carrying on as if trains can stop on a dime. Well, hopefully an RP watching this video tracked them down and wrote them a huge ass ticket.

[ThomasBus8516]

I drive a school bus and those videos were hard to watch. In my state it's not necessary to set the parking brake at railroad crossings but I always come to a complete stop and check twice. I can't imagine rolling through one. We're supposed to be setting an example. Those drivers need to be relieved from their duties and retrained! However, your use of footage of tragic accidents in the beginning that were NOT the bus driver's fault was totally inappropraite. They weren't railroad related.

[JeepGuy80]

You're right, the photos in the beginning are NOT rail road related, however, they were used to give an "Example" of what could happen to a bus in the event of an accident.

I tried to be as appropriate as I could with those instead of actual rail road/Bus related photos in which I have... However, I did not feel that showing everyone young children's body parts spread across the ground was appropriate. Thanks anyway for your concern.

[Steam501]

Excellent job filming . The only bus driver that took the time to do things by the book was the Blue Bus with the Adult Center Riders onboard. Who trained these other drivers. I,m sure that if this is a display of their lack of regard for safety , we will be seeing them again on Nightly News strewn out all over the ROW like a load of Manure

[zachford111]

they should but Guarding lines up

[josephkennith]

this happened in mass a bus went under a crossing got stuck then backed up and they got that dumb ho all on camera

[RichardSwayne]

Lovely old ALCO.

[Espeelover]

Man an alco! More than half those drivers didn't stop. And only a canteliver? Accidents waiting to happen. Has 1 ever happen around there?

[JeepGuy80]

Not as of yet - but it's an accident waiting to happen.

[Espeelover]

hope one doesn't ever happen. Do they have security cameras around there?

[JeepGuy80]

No - Just Mine For Now LoL

And Some at Major Intersections.

[Espeelover]

how often do you go there? And can you report those drivers?

[JeepGuy80]

Usually once per week or so, and they've already been reported to the School Board of Education, and Talked about in our local newspaper forum.

[Espeelover]

whats going on with them now? What happens if their reported more than once?

[JeepGuy80]

They had a meeting in regards to it apparently... I received an email from the Director of Transportation at the school board, and he stated that they didn't have to stop, which is bull s**t... However, next time, I will bypass the board of education, and I will give the videos to the Maryland Department of Transportation, the State Police and every news agency in the surrounding areas...

[tfoster09]

No kidding, that is BULLSHIT. Give him the CDL rulebook with the section on railroad crossings. The only time school buses DON'T have to stop is when there is an "exempt" sign on the crossing, or if the crossing is being protected by a traffic light. The traffic light situation kind of bothers me, but oh well, it's the law.

[trainlord11]

All buses have to stop at crossings unless they are marked with an exempt sign. Nice video, stupid drivers.

[jhand350]

I graduated from high school last year, I have to give my bus drivers credit because they always stopped, opened the door and listened.

[jasonntinay]

I see it everyday... Can't wait to until you ride in the cab so you can see it first hand..

[CSXrailz]

I agree.

I mean you could just see all these other related videos.