G/TBT/N/USA/1123  
 
9 May 2016  
(16-2556)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):    
2. Agency responsible: National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration  (NHTSA), Department 
of Transportation (DOT) [1141] 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : Please submit 
comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10 .1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Anti-ejection glazing for 
bus portals. Road vehicle systems (ICS 43.040), Commercial vehicles (ICS 43.080) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standards; Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release, Anti-
Ejection Glazing for Bus Portals (30 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content: This NPRM proposes a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard (FMVSS) No. 217a, "Anti-ejection glazing for bus portals," to drive the 
installation of advanced glazing in high-occupancy buses (generally, over-the-road buses (of any weight) and non-over-the-road buses with a gross vehicle weight rating greater 
than 11,793 kilograms (26,000 pounds). The new standard would specify impactor testing 
of glazing material. In the tests, a 26 kilogram (57 pound) impactor would be propelled from inside a test vehicle toward the window glazing at 21.6 kilometers/hour (13.4 miles per hour). The impactor and impact speed would simulate the loading from an average 
size unrestrained adult male impacting a window on the opposite side of a large bus in a 
rollover. Performance requirements would appl y to side and rear windows, and to glass 
panels and windows on the roof to mitigate partial and complete ejection of passengers 
from these windows and to ensure that emergency exits remain operable after a rollover 
crash. NHTSA also proposes to limit the protrusions of emergency exit latches into emergency exit openings of windows to ensure they do not unduly hinder emergency 
egress.  
This NPRM is among the rulemakings issu ed pursuant to NHTSA's 2007 Approach to 
Motorcoach Safety and DOT's Departmental Motorcoach Safety Action Plan. In addition, to the extent warranted under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, establishing 
advanced glazing standards for the side and rear portals of the subject buses would fulfil a 
statutory provision of the Motorcoach Enha nced Safety Act of 2012 (incorporated and 
passed as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act).  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Protection of Human health or Safety G/TBT/N/USA/1123 
 
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  8. Relevant documents:  81 Federal Register (FR) 27903, 6 May 2016; Title 49 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 571.  Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted.  
9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined   
10. Final date for comments: 5 July 2016 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachm ents/2016/TBT/USA/16_1851_00_e.pdf