Why Do School Buses Stop at Train Tracks? — It’s a Detailed Process

After they stop, drivers are required to put their bus in park or to shift into neutral, depending on the vehicle.

Plus, bus drivers must open their window, the passenger-side door, and quiet things down inside of the bus (like the radio, AC and heater units, and kids) in order to hear whether a train is headed in their direction. All of this is required so they can stop safely and in accordance with the law.