I think the training aspect was a good idea because you never know what can happen, but the bus should have been turned off, and the keys removed from the ignition.
I hear a lawsuit. I was a school bus driver and had an medical emergency but I parked the bus and called for another driver. I would never have any child in the driver's seat. All my students knew that if I was unable to drive they could pull the steering wheel to the side of the road and pull the air brake and use the radio to get help. Never in the driver's seat. They can call emergency number if needed they all have cell phones. So I don't know why they had any child in the driver's seat.
If you search "Student stops bus" on RU-vid there is several videos that show cases where bus drivers have suffered random medical emergencies while driving and a student had to stop the bus. No school district has enough funding to additional staffing on buses just in case the 1% chance that the driver has a medical emergency.
There was a bus driver with no pre-existing health conditions that had a medical emergency. A boy came forward, pushed the brake and steered the bus to the side of the road. That was a boy who had farm experience.
If an adult has a known medical condition that could potentially cause an emergency, they shouldn't be a school bus driver! That would NEVER be allowed here in the UK.
If you search "Student stops bus" on RU-vid there is several videos that show cases where bus drivers have suffered random medical emergencies while driving and a student had to stop the bus. No school district has enough funding to additional staffing on buses just in case the 1% chance that the driver has a medical emergency.
I'm a bus driver. I don't do it, and it's definitely not allowed.... but I know a lot of drivers will let the students play in the driver's seat while waiting to unload students.
