Interpretation ID: aiam1466
Manager of Engineering
The Adams & Westlake Company
1025 North Michigan Street
Elkhart
IN 46514;
Dear Mr. Gordon: This is in reply to your letter of March 13, 1974, asking whethe S5.3.2. of Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 217, Bus Window Retention and Release,' permits the use of more than one release mechanism on any one opening if each mechanism requires a separate motion to release.; Standard No. 217 does not prohibit the use of more than one separat release mechanism for a single opening. However, S5.3.2 does limit to two the number of total force applications, and this limits the number of separate release mechanisms to two. If two release mechanisms are used, each must be operated by only one force application, and one of these force applications must differ by 90 degrees to 180 degrees from the direction of the initial push-out motion of the emergency exit.; Of course, in using this configuration, the other requirement pertaining to emergency exits and release mechanisms in Standard No. 217 must also be met.; Yours truly, Richard B. Dyson, Assistant Chief Counsel