This is a question I am too embarrassed to ask at work. I see different bus drivers doing different things, and I don't know which is legal.

There is a road where the speed limit is 40 mph, it is a 4 lane road.

There is a school on this road, and there is a sign that says "Speed Limit 20 on school days when children are present".

I think in training class they said that even if children are not present, that we have to drive 20 mph. But I don't remember.

When I am in a group with other school busses doing charters nobody slows down. Everyone does 40mph. But I think because we're a school bus we have to slow down, even if there is no school that day and there are no children present.

When it is a school day we always do 20 mph. But I'm not sure what the law is when there is no school.

The law says on school days when children are present. If your company has a different policy you have to follow that. Why are you too embarrased to ask a question at work that clarifies your responsibilities?

Because everyone does things differently and I don't want to look like the dumb one asking a question I should know the answer to.

I don't want to tick anyone off at my job or make other drivers look bad. I just want to do the job right.

Clarifying your job responsibilty in NOT EVER a dumb question! If all of the drivers are doing something differently, that's a problem. Do you have a Safety Director/Manager that you can talk to? I'd rather have one of my drivers ask, than to keep doing it wrong!

Since most schools are just going back, now would be a good time to ask for clarification of the rules pertaining to School Zones. Actually I'm surprised that your company hasn't done that already.

If in doubt, just go 20 in the school zone. No harm in doing that is there?

There's local law then there's company policy. As long as the two don't conflict, follow company policy, which will usually be more strict than the law for a particular circumstance.

Where I live a school zone is only a school zone during the times specified on the signs at the start of the school zone. The yellow lights on the pole above the signs are usually flashing during those times. If it is outside those times or a day when school is out, the speed limit is then the regular limit for that road.

Your best bet would be to ask the people you drive for. The answer you receive on the internet is worth what you're paying for it and if the answer you get on the internet is wrong and you follow it, you will lose your job! I would never be embarassed to ask my employer a question that could possibly affect my continued employment.

I always slow down some anyway in a school zone. You never know when a kid is going to be entering or leaving the school at odd hours. Schools aren't just from 8-3, but there are sports games and practice that result in kids coming and going all the time. Even in the summer you have small kids going to use the playground. Now if I don't see kids I usually split the difference, like a 20 mph school zone in a 40 mph regular speed zone means I will go about 30 mph if there are no kids present.

That 20 seconds it will cost me may save someones life.

OP would still be better off asking his employer to provide him with a definitive answer rather than relying on the opinions of strangers on an internet message board.

If everyone did that we wouldn't have a message board. :wink:

OK you got me there... ops: