Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations — 221
221 (1) The following definitions in this subsection apply in this section. body component means a part of a bus body, including floor panels, made from a single piece of homogeneous material or from a single piece of composite material such as plywood or plastic. ( élément de carrosserie ) body panel means a body component used on the exterior or interior surface of a bus to enclose the bus occupant space. ( panneau de carrosserie ) body panel joint means the area of contact, attachment or close proximity between the edges of a body panel and another body component. ( joint de panneau de carrosserie ) bus body means the portion of a bus that encloses the bus occupant space, including the floor and the body panel separating the engine compartment from the occupant space, but excluding the bumpers and chassis frame. ( carrosserie d’autobus ) maintenance access panel means a body panel that must be moved or removed to provide access to serviceable components. ( panneau d’accès pour l’entretien ) serviceable component means any part of a bus, of either a mechanical or electrical nature, that is explicitly identified in the owner’s manual or factory service manual as requiring routine maintenance actions at intervals of one year or less. Tubing, wires and harnesses are considered to be serviceable components only at their attachments. ( élément nécessitant de l’entretien ) (2) This section applies in respect of all school bus body panel joints that lie rearward of the vertical transverse plane located 762 mm in front of the forward-most passenger seating reference point, except those that contact or are attached to or in close proximity to (a) components such as rub rails that are entirely outside of body panels; (b) doors, windows, ventilation panels, engine access covers or destination sign covers; (c) trim or decorative parts that do not contribute to the strength of a body panel joint; (d) interior maintenance access panels that are 305 mm or less when measured across any two points on the diametrically opposite sides of the opening; or (e) all exterior maintenance access panels. (3) Subject to subsection (4), when tested in accordance with Test Method 221, School Bus Body Joint Strength (October 20, 2000), every body panel joint shall be capable of sustaining, without separation, a tensile force that is equal to 60% of the breaking tensile strength within the weakest body panel component attached by the joint. (4) A body panel joint is not required to be tested if a test specimen cannot be obtained in accordance with Test Method 221, School Bus Body Joint Strength (October 20, 2000) or it has only one discrete fastener or spot weld. (5) Despite subsection (2), the maintenance access panels referred to in paragraph (2)(d) shall have no unattached segment at the joint longer than 110 mm. (6) On or before January 14, 2002, a school bus having a GVWR of more than 4,536 kg may conform to this section or to section 221 as it read before the coming into force of this section. (7) On or before January 14, 2002, a school bus having a GVWR of 4,536 kg or less may conform to this section. (8) After January 14, 2002, every school bus shall conform to this section. SOR/80-160, s. 2; SOR/97-421, s. 17; SOR/2001-36, s. 1