As a system check on newer vehicles, the  malfunction lamp comes on at start-up for a bulb  check and then goes out quickly. On older  systems, the lamp could stay on until you are  driving over five mph.  Vehicles with ABS have yellow malfunction lamps  to tell you if something is not working. The yellow  ABS malfunction lamp is on the bus’s instrument  panel.  Without ABS, you still have normal brake functions.  Drive and brake as you always have.  Some school buses are equipped with roof- mounted, white strobe lights. If your bus is so  equipped, the overhead strobe light should be  used when you have limited visibility. This means  that you cannot easily see around you – in front,  behind, or beside the school bus. Your visibility  could be only slightly limited or it could be so bad  that you can see nothing at all. In all instances,  understand and obey your state or local  regulations concerning the use of these lights.  If the lamp stays on after the bulb check, or goes  on once you are under way, you may have lost  ABS control at one or more wheels.  Remember, if your ABS malfunctions, you still  have regular brakes. Drive normally, but get the  system serviced soon.  Strong winds affect the handling of the school bus!  The side of a school bus acts like a sail on a  sailboat. Strong winds can push the school bus  sideways. They can even move the school bus off  the road or, in extreme conditions, tip it over.  If you are caught in strong winds:  When you drive a vehicle with ABS, you should  brake as you always have. In other words:  Your school bus will have a yellow ABS  malfunction lamp on the instrument panel if it is  equipped with ABS.  When you brake hard on slippery surfaces in a  vehicle without ABS, your wheels may lock up.  When your steering wheels lock up, you lose  steering control. When your other wheels lock up,  you may skid or even spin the vehicle.  ABS helps you avoid wheel lock up and maintain  control. You may or may not be able to stop faster  with ABS, but you should be able to steer around  an obstacle while braking, and avoid skids caused  by over braking.  10.6.2 – How ABS Helps You  10.6.5 – Safety Reminders  10.6.3 – Braking with ABS  10.7 – Special Safety Considerations  10.7.1 – Strobe Lights  10.6.4 – Braking if ABS is Not Working  10.7.2 – Driving in High Winds  • Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel. Try to  anticipate gusts.  • You should slow down to lessen the effect of the  wind, or pull off the roadway and wait.  • Contact your dispatcher to get more information  on how to proceed.  • Use only the braking force necessary to stop  safely and stay in control.  • Brake the same way, regardless of whether you  have ABS on the bus. However, in emergency  braking, do not pump the brakes on a bus with  ABS.  • As you slow down, monitor your bus and back off  the brakes (if it is safe to do so) to stay in control.  • Remember: If you need it, ABS could help to  prevent a serious crash.  • Remember: Drive so you never need to use your  ABS.  • Remember: The best vehicle safety feature is  still a safe driver.  • ABS won’t compensate for bad brakes or poor  brake maintenance.  • ABS won’t change the way you normally brake.  Under normal brake conditions, your vehicle will  stop as it always stopped. ABS only comes into  play when a wheel would normally have locked  up because of over braking.  • ABS won’t increase or decrease ultimate  stopping power–ABS is an “add-on” to your  normal brakes, not a replacement for them.  • ABS won’t necessarily shorten stopping  distance. ABS will help maintain vehicle control,  but not always shorten stopping distance.  • ABS won’t prevent power or turning skids–ABS  should prevent brake-induced skids but not  those caused by spinning the drive wheels or  going too fast in a turn.  • ABS won’t allow you to drive faster, follow more  closely, or drive less carefully.  2005 Model Commercial Driver’s License Manual  2005 Model Commercial Driver’s License Manual Section 10 – School Buses Page 10-10 