California Code of Regulations › Title 13 - Motor Vehicles › Division 2 - Department of the California Highway Patrol › Chapter 6.5 - Motor Carrier Safety › Article 9 - Additional Equipment Requirements for School Buses › Section 1273 - School Bus Bodies

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
School buses shall comply with the following
					 requirements:
(a) Engine Compartment.
				  The engine compartment shall be sealed from the passenger space, to prevent
				  entrance of exhaust gases, and insulated with fireproofing or other materials
				  to prevent the floor from overheating and the passengers from being injured.
				  All closures between the engine compartment and the bus body shall be fitted
				  with gastight gaskets, and pedal openings shall be closed by bellows, or
				  self-closing gastight boots or gaskets.
(b) Construction. A Type 1 school bus
				  manufactured on and after January 1, 1957, and a Type 2 school bus manufactured
				  on and after July 1, 1970, shall comply with the following additional
				  requirements:
(1) Floors. Floors in Type 1
				  school buses constructed after January 1, 1957, shall be at least 14-gage steel
				  or equivalent or 5-ply, 5/8 in. laminated wood, marine type, and constructed
				  and maintained to prevent entrance of exhaust gases. Floors in Type 2 buses
				  constructed on and after July 1, 1970, shall be strong enough to support loads
				  and constructed and maintained to prevent entrance of exhaust gases.
(2) Body. The bus body shall be reasonably
				  dustproof and watertight and construction (except of the floor) shall be of
				  prime commercial quality steel or other material with strength at least
				  equivalent to all steel as certified to the department by the bus body
				  manufacturer. If nonmetallic materials are used, they also shall meet the
				  flammability specifications for interior materials in FMVSS 302. In addition,
				  the bus body (including roof bows, body posts, and floor) shall:
(A) Be of sufficient strength to support the
				  entire weight of the fully loaded vehicle on its top or side if
				  overturned.
(B) Have sufficient
				  strainers in the roof structure and corners to provide adequate safety and to
				  resist damage on impact.
(C) As
				  evidence that Type 1 school bus bodies manufactured prior to April 1, 1977,
				  meet these standards, the manufacturer shall furnish to the department for each
				  current body model certification that the bus body meets the "Static Load Test
				  Code for School Bus Body Structure" as issued by the School Bus Body
				  Manufacturers Association.
(3) Inside Height. In a Type 1 school bus
				  manufactured on or after January 1, 1965, the inside body height, measured at
				  the centerline from the back of the door opening to the back of the next to the
				  last row of seats, shall be a minimum of 70 in.
(4) Interior. The interior of school buses
				  shall meet the following requirements:
(A) The
				  ceiling shall be free of all projections likely to cause injury to a
				  pupil.
(B) Except as otherwise
				  provided, the ceiling over any aisle shall not have any projection that
				  protrudes more than ¾ inch or that reduces the minimum inside height
				  requirements.
(C) Ceilings may have
				  projections over the aisle for air conditioners provided that no portion of the
				  projection is more than 35 inches from an emergency exit and no portion
				  projects below the top of the emergency exit opening.
(D) Type 1 school bus ceilings shall not have
				  any projection over any seat where the minimum distance from the highest point
				  of the seat cushion to the projection is less than 40 inches.
(E) No ceiling projection over any seat shall
				  project lower than the top of any window.
(F) The interior walls on Type 1 school buses
				  and Type 2 school buses manufactured on or after July 1, 1970, shall be lined.
				  Hoses, tubing, and piping installed on interior walls for air conditioning or
				  heating shall be equipped with protective covering designed to prevent puncture
				  or injury.
(G) Materials used on
				  the interiors of school buses manufactured on or after September 1, 1972, shall
				  comply with the specifications of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 302 in
				  effect at the time of manufacture. Any material used in refurbishing bus
				  interiors shall be fire resistant and shall comply with the standards in effect
				  for new vehicles at the time of installation.
(5) Modifications. No person shall render
				  inoperative, in whole or in part, any device or element of design or equipment
				  of a school bus in compliance with FMVSS 220.