Washington State School Bus Specifications Chris Reykdal State Superintendent of Public Instruction Revised September 2019 Except where otherwise noted, this work by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Please make sure that permission has been received to use all elements of this publication (images, charts, text, etc.) that are not created by OSPI staff, grantees, or contractors. This permission should be displayed as an attribution statement in the manner specified by the copyright holder. It should be made clear that the element is one of the “except where otherwise noted” exceptions to the OSPI open license. For additional information, please visit the OSPI Interactive Copyright and Licensing Guide. 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Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200 SPECIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOL BUSES Effective September 1, 2019 SPECIFICATIONS FOR SCHOOL BUSES Patti Enbody Director Student Transportation REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COORDINATORS Rodney McKnight, Region I Mike Shahan, Region II Mark Dennis, Region III Dan Payne, Region IV Chris Jose, Region V Chris Reykdal Superintendent of Public Instruction Jamila B. Thomas Chief of Staff ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Superintendent would like to acknowledge the dedicated work of all those involved in the development and production of this manual. The result of this work is a safer, more efficient school bus to provide transportation for the students of Washington State, to and from school and school activities. DEFINITIONS The following definitions are used in this manual: 1. "School bus" shall mean every vehicle with a seating capacity of more than ten persons, including the driver, regularly used to transport students to and from school or in connection with school activities. 2. A Type A school bus shall mean a conversion bus constructed utilizing a cutaway front section vehicle with a left side driver’s door. This definition includes two classifications: Type A-1, with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 14,500 pounds or less; and Type A-2, with a GVWR greater than14,500 pounds, not to exceed 36-passenger seating capacity. 3. A Type B school bus shall mean a conversion or body constructed and installed upon a van or front section vehicle chassis, or stripped chassis, with a GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds, designed for carrying more than ten persons. Part of the engine is beneath and/or behind the windshield and beside the driver's seat, and the service entrance door is behind the front wheels. 4. A Type C school bus shall mean a body installed upon a flat back cowl chassis, or a stripped chassis, with a GVWR greater than 21,500 pounds, designed for carrying more than ten persons. The service entrance door is behind the front wheels. This type also includes the above chassis with a passenger seating capacity greater than 36, and may have a left side driver’s door. 5. A Type D school bus shall mean a body installed upon a chassis, with a GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds, designed for carrying more than ten persons. The engine may be behind the windshield and beside the driver's seat, at the rear of the bus behind the rear wheels, or midship between the front and rear axles. The service entrance door is ahead of the front wheels. 6. A Special Needs School bus shall mean any Type A, B, C, or D school bus as defined in this section, which has been modified to transport students requiring the use of a Wheelchair/Mobility Aid Position or Lift. 7. A Multifunction School Activity Bus (MFSAB) shall mean a school bus whose purposes do not include transporting students to and from home or school bus stops, “as defined in 49 CFR571.3.” this subcategory of school bus meets all FMVSS for school buses except the traffic control requirements. TABLE OF CONTENTS Section I. School Bus Specifications Page Air Cleaner ....................................................................................... 1 Aisle .................................................................................................. 1 Alternator .......................................................................................... 1 Axle Loading ..................................................................................... 2 Axles ................................................................................................. 2 Back-up Alarm (Optional) .................................................................. 2 Battery............................................................................................... 2 Belt Cutter ......................................................................................... 3 Body Sides, Exterior ............................................................................ 3 Brakes ............................................................................................... 3 Brakes, Air ........................................................................................ 4 Brakes, Hydraulic .............................................................................. 5 Bumpers, Front ................................................................................. 5 Bumpers, Rear .................................................................................. 5 Camera Systems (Exterior) ............................................................... 6 Camera Systems (Interior) ................................................................ 7 Capacity Plate ................................................................................... 7 Certification ....................................................................................... 7 Clutch ................................................................................................ 7 Color ................................................................................................. 7 Construction ...................................................................................... 8 Crossing Control Arm ........................................................................ 9 Defrosters ......................................................................................... 9 Doors, Service ................................................................................... 10 Drive Shaft ........................................................................................ 10 Electrical System/Wiring .................................................................... 11 Emergency Equipment ...................................................................... 12 Emergency Exits ............................................................................... 14 Engine Shutdown Devices ................................................................ 18 Exhaust System ................................................................................ 18 Fenders, Front ................................................................................... 19 Fire Suppression Systems................................................................. 19 Floor and Floor Covering ................................................................... 20 Frame ................................................................................................ 20 Fuel Tank .......................................................................................... 21 Governor ........................................................................................... 22 Hand Rails ........................................................................................ 22 Hand Throttle .................................................................................... 22 Heating System, Provision for ........................................................... 22 Heating and Air Conditioning Systems .............................................. 22 Hinges ............................................................................................... 26 Horn .................................................................................................. 26 Identification ...................................................................................... 26 Inside Height ..................................................................................... 27 Table of Contents (continued) Page Instruments and Instrument Panel ...................................................... 27 Insulation ........................................................................................... 28 Interior ............................................................................................... 29 Lamps and Signals ............................................................................