Administrative Procedure - School Bus Post-Accident Checklist [1]
Driver Post-Accident Procedures

1. Immediately after an accident:
2. Activate the hazard lights
3. Place the transmission in neutral and set the parking brake (manual) or place in park (automatic)
4. Turn off the ignition and remove the key
5. Locate and place the warning devices
6. The first consideration is whether it is safer to evacuate the students or to have them remain on the bus. 23 Ill.Admin.Code §1.510(l)(1).
7. Check for injuries, using the passenger list (if available) to indicate injuries. Immediately notify the pre-designated emergency and police services, and administer first aid. As soon as possible, notify the District or transportation office.
8. Don’t leave students unattended and/or unsupervised. However, if you must leave to attend to the vehicle or warning devices, leave a responsible student in charge.
9. Check for conditions that could cause fires, including a ruptured fuel tank, leaking or broken fuel lines; and/or hot tire, etc. Do not touch a suspected hot tire. Place your hand near it to see if heat is radiating off of it.
10. When notifying the District or transportation office, give the following information:
11. Seriousness of the accident
12. Location and time of accident
13. Bus number and route number
14. School
15. Number of students on board
16. Extent of any injuries
17. Condition of vehicle
18. Weather/road conditions
19. Any other pertinent information
20. Stay with the children until help arrives. Do not release any student, even to parents, unless instructed to do so by police or the District or transportation office. Parents/guardians are not allowed on the bus.
21. Stay vigilant for the continued safety of everyone at the scene and:

Never attempt to direct traffic.
Never move the vehicle before the police arrive, unless absolutely necessary to avoid a traffic hazard.
Never discuss liability or fault, or sign anything until someone from the District or transportation office arrives. Do not discuss details of the accident with the media.
Never move an injured person unless the person’s life is in jeopardy.

1. Cooperate with law enforcement. Provide concise and clear answers and details. Give your name, address, driver’s license and bus driver permit numbers.
2. If your vehicle strikes an animal, continue until it is safe to stop, keeping in mind that the sight of an injured animal could upset the children on the bus. Park the vehicle and radio or call the District or transportation office with the information. The office will notify the proper authorities.
3. The District or transportation office, when notifying the school, may suggest that personnel follow up with students to minimize trauma or emotional after-effects.

Information Gathering
While at the accident scene the driver and/or transportation supervisor shall:

1. Obtain the name, address, date of birth, and seating position of every passenger on the bus.
2. If possible, obtain the names, addresses, driver’s license numbers and phone numbers of any witnesses.
3. Regarding other vehicles involved in the accident, obtain the:
4. Other drivers’ names
5. Other drivers’ license numbers
6. Other drivers’ addresses and phone numbers
7. Make, model, year, and license plate numbers of other involved vehicles
8. Other drivers’ insurance carrier information
9. Name, address, and phone numbers of passengers in other involved vehicles

District or Transportation Office Responsibilities

1. Confirm that police and emergency services as appropriate were notified. An ambulance need not be called to the accident scene unless there are obvious injuries or complaints.
2. Send a transportation supervisor to the accident scene to assist the bus driver.
3. Arrange for the parents/guardians of children on the bus to be contacted.
4. Arrange alternate transportation for the children.
5. Contact the District’s insurance carrier as soon as possible and follow its instructions.
6. Help the bus driver complete accident report forms, including insurance forms. Complete the Ill. State Board of Education’s School Bus Accident Report, isbe.net/Documents/50-26_school_bus_ac... and forward to the Regional Superintendent immediately after any accident.
7. Obtain any accident reports completed by third parties, including police reports.

Post-Accident Alcohol and Drug Testing

1. This section’s provisions are required by 49 C.F.R. §382.303. For drug and alcohol testing requirements, see Board policy 5:285, Drug and Alcohol Testing for School Bus and Commercial Vehicle Drivers; and administrative procedure 5:285-AP, Drug and Alcohol Testing for School Bus and Commercial Vehicle Drivers.
2. School bus drivers shall be provided the necessary post-accident alcohol and drug testing information, procedures, and instructions before operating a bus.
3. As soon as practicable after an accident involving a school bus, the driver shall be tested for alcohol and controlled substances if:
   1. The accident involved the loss of human life;
   2. The driver receives a citation for a moving traffic violation arising from the accident; or
   3. A law enforcement officer directs that such a test be given. 625 ILCS 5/6-516.
4. If a required alcohol test is not administered:
   1. Within two hours, the District must prepare and maintain a file or record stating why the test was not properly administered.
   2. Within eight hours, the District shall cease attempts to administer an alcohol test and shall prepare the same record.
5. If a required controlled substance test is not administered within 32 hours, the District shall cease attempts to administer the test, and shall prepare and maintain a file or record stating why the test was not properly administered.
6. No driver required to take a post-accident alcohol test shall use alcohol for eight hours following the accident, or until undergoing a post-accident alcohol test.

Vehicle Inspection
Following an accident, each damaged bus component must be inspected before the bus is returned to service. 625 ILCS 5/13-109. 
[1] This checklist aligns with accident procedures in the Illinois Professional School Bus Driver Training Curriculum (last revised 2015), available at: isbe.net/Documents/busdriver_trainmanu.... Modifications to this procedure may be needed to reflect local circumstances, e.g., regarding the identification of a “responsible student” in item #4 under Driver Post-Accident Procedures. State law uses the term crash instead of accident to clarify that not all crashes are accidental. 625 ILCS 5/, amended by P.A. 102-982; however, federal regulations governing drug and alcohol testing of school bus drivers continue to use the term accident. See sample administrative procedure 5:285-AP, Drug and Alcohol Testing for School Bus and Commercial Vehicle Drivers.

Updated: March 2024