Interpretation ID: 1985-01.27

TYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA

DATE: 02/04/85

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; Frank Berndt; NHTSA

TO: Mr. John L. O'Connell Department of Motor Vehicles State of Connecticut

TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION

TEXT:

Mr. John L. O'Connell Department of Motor Vehicles State of Connecticut State Street Wethersfield, Connecticut 06109

This responds to your October 15, 1984 letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asking about an emergency door which is installed on a school bus in addition to the emergency exits required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 217, Bus Window Retention and Release.

Your first question asked whether this additional emergency exit is required to comply with Standard No. 217. In particular, you asked about the labeling requirements. FMVSS No. 217 requires that additional exits on school buses which are intended as emergency exits must comply with the emergency exit requirements applicable to exits in buses other than school buses. These additional emergency exits would be required to be labeled in accordance with the requirements for exits in non-school buses.

Your second question asked whether the door may be sealed shut. You also asked whether sealing the door would have any effect on the compliance of the bus with FMVSS No. 221, School Bus Body Joint Strength.

The answer to this question depends on who seals the door, and when this work is performed. As you probably know, NHTSA does not have the authority to prohibit an owner, such as a school, from modifying its own vehicle. A school may modify its own vehicle in any manner without assuring that the vehicle remains in compliance with motor vehicle safety standards. Of course, it may be more difficult to insure a vehicle which does not conform to the safety standards. The school can also expose itself to increased liability in the event that one of their noncomplying vehicles is involved in an accident.

After the vehicle is sold to its first purchaser, manufacturers, dealers, distributors or repair businesses are prohibited from knowingly rendering inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a vehicle in compliance with an applicable motor vehicle safety standard. The additional door could be sealed by a manufacturer or repair-type business as long as there were sufficient other emergency exits available on the vehicle so that it remains in compliance with the requirements of Standard No. 217. Moreover, the door were sealed after the vehicle's first sale, FMVSS No. 221 would not be a factor. This is because doors are not considered "body panel joints" subject to the requirements of the standard. Since the additional door was not regulated by Standard No. 221, there would be no rendering inoperative of the compliance of the door with that standard.

If you decide to Seal the emergency exit shut, we would encourage you to remove the labels to avoid possible confusion in the event of an accident.

If the door was made inoperable prior to the vehicle's first sale, FMVSS No. 221 would be a factor. This is because the person sealing the door is an "alterer," and must attach a label indicating compliance of the altered vehicle with the standards. When the door is sealed, it becomes part of the bus wall structure. As such, any joints on the door that would fall within the ambit of Standard No. 221 would be required to comply with that standard. The alterer would also be required to remove any labels and operating instructions from the exit which was sealed, since labels indicating that a door can be used as an emergency exit when in fact the door is inoperative would not conform to Standard No. 217.

Sincerely,

Frank Berndt Chief Counsel

October 15, 1984

Mr. Frank Berndt Chief Counsel U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 400 Seventh Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20590

Dear Mr. Berndt:

This correspondence relates to Thomas Built Buses, Inc., who manufacture a school bus with a right side emergency door, in addition to the emergency exits required by FMVSS No. 217.

If a school bus is manufactured in conformance with the emergency exit requirements of FMVSS No. 217, and additionally, a right side emergency exit is provided. must that additional exit be in compliance with all the requirements of FMVSS, including markings?

If it does not have to meet the requirements of FMVSS No. 217, may it be sealed shut? If yes, would a sealed door have any significant effect on the school bus's meeting the requirements of FMVSS No. 221 for School Bus Body Joint Strength?

Your response to these questions will be a valuable assistance to us in guiding our inspection personnel.

Very truly yours

John L. O'Connell Public Transportation Administrator

JLO:ECP/k

cc: Howard Smith Bus Sales Ron Marion, Thomas Built Buses