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Do school buses which meet the school bus emergency exit requirements established by NHTSA’s November 2, 1992, final rule on FMVSS No. 217 have to be retrofitted with additional emergency exits when used in interstate commerce for non-school bus operation

Section § 393.62: Emergency exits for buses.

Guidance Q&A

Question 3: Do school buses which meet the school bus emergency exit requirements established by NHTSA’s November 2, 1992, final rule on FMVSS No. 217 have to be retrofitted with additional emergency exits when used in interstate commerce for non-school bus operations?

Guidance: No. On May 9, 1995, NHTSA amended FMVSS No. 217 to permit non-school buses to meet either the current non-school bus emergency exit requirements or the upgraded school bus exit requirements established by the November 2, 1992 (57 FR 49413), final rule which became effective on September 1, 1994. Therefore, school buses which meet the upgraded emergency exit standards meet the requirements of § 393.62 without the retrofitting of additional exits.

Regulatory Topic: Must school bus emergency exits be retrofitted for non-school operations?
Effective Date: Sunday, May 4, 1997
Issued Date: Friday, April 4, 1997