Interpretation ID: aiam2507
Blue Bird Body Company
P. O. Box 927
Fort Valley
GA 31030;
Dear Mr. Milby: This responds to your January 19, 1977, question whether th requirement of S5.2 of Standard No. 222, *School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection*, for a restraining barrier of specified size in front of certain designated seating positions necessitates the provision of an additional barrier surface in front of those portions of a bench seat that do not form part of the designated seating positions. You describe a front-row two-passenger bench seat in a bus (with a seat back that extends beyond the bench to provide adequate restraint for a three-passenger seat aft of it) and ask about the restraining barrier that is required in front of the two- passenger front-row seat.; Paragraph S5.2.2 requires that the perimeter of the restraining barrie coincide with or lie outside of the perimeter of the seat back of the seat for which it is required. This means that the restraining barrier must coincide with or lie outside of the perimeter of the seat back of the desinnated (sic) seating position or positions for which it is required. Therefore, a seat with only two designated seating positions must only be equipped with a restraining barrier in front of those two seating positions.; Sincerely, Frank Berndt, Acting Chief Counsel