Passenger: Bus Equipment
14 questions in the bank cover this topic. Everything below is drawn from the sources those questions cite.
Sources: 49 CFR 392.8, 49 CFR 393.44, 49 CFR 393.75, 49 CFR 393.90, 49 CFR 393.91, 49 CFR 393.93, 49 CFR 393.95, 49 CFR 396.3
What you need to know
393.90 requires a contrasting line at least 2 inches wide, or another equivalent means, at a perpendicular plane through the rear of the driver's seat.
Standees must stay behind it.
every bus, which is designed and constructed so as to allow standees, shall be plainly marked with a line of contrasting color at least 2 inches wide or equipped with some other means so as to indicate to any person that he/she is prohibited from occupying a space forward of a perpendicular plane drawn through the rear of the driver's seat
49 CFR 393.90
393.90 requires the sign at or near the front with letters at least half an inch high.
It must say that operating with people in the prohibited area is a violation, so passengers know the line is a legal boundary. It must state that operating with persons in the prohibited area violates FMCSA regulations.
Every bus shall have clearly posted at or near the front, a sign with letters at least one-half inch high stating that it is a violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's regulations for a bus to be operated with persons occupying the prohibited area.
49 CFR 393.90
393.90 prohibits standing forward of the line, not sitting.
A permanent seat there may be used so long as its occupant does not interfere with the driver's safe operation of the bus. The seat's position is what decides it.
nor shall they be construed to prohibit any seated person from occupying permanent seats located in the prohibited area provided such seats are so located that persons sitting therein will not interfere with the driver's safe operation of the bus
49 CFR 393.90
393.91 permits aisle seats only if they fold automatically and clear the aisle when nobody is in them.
A blocked aisle is an obstructed escape route in a fire or a rollover.
No bus shall be equipped with aisle seats unless such seats are so designed and installed as to automatically fold and leave a clear aisle when they are unoccupied.
49 CFR 393.91
393.91 bars operating the bus at all if any seat is not securely fastened.
A seat that breaks loose in a crash becomes a heavy projectile among the passengers.
No bus shall be operated if any seat therein is not securely fastened to the vehicle.
49 CFR 393.91
393.93(a)(2) applies FMVSS No.
208 for seat belt assembly installation and FMVSS No. 210 for the anchorages. FMVSS 207 covers seating systems for buses built on or after 1 January 1972.
Every bus manufactured on or after July 1, 1971, must conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208
49 CFR 393.93
393.93(a)(3) applies FMVSS No.
207, which governs seating systems. 209 and 210 cover belt assemblies and anchorages respectively.
Every bus manufactured on or after January 1, 1972, must conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 207
49 CFR 393.93
396.3(a)(2) requires inspection at least every 90 days, and 396.3(b)(4) requires a record of those tests.
These are the components passengers depend on when the normal exit is blocked.
Pushout windows, emergency doors, and emergency door marking lights in buses shall be inspected at least every 90 days.
49 CFR 396.3
393.95(f) gives the same options to buses as other CMVs: three bidirectional reflective triangles or at least 6 fusees.
Note 393.95(g)'s restrictions on flame-producing devices still apply to certain cargoes.
Three bidirectional emergency reflective triangles that conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 125
At least 6 fusees.
49 CFR 393.95
393.75(d) prohibits regrooved, recapped or retreaded tires on bus front wheels outright.
A front tire failure on a loaded bus is a steering loss with passengers aboard.
No bus shall be operated with regrooved, recapped or retreaded tires on the front wheels.
49 CFR 393.75
393.44 requires the system to be built so a burst front brake line does not take the rear brakes with it.
The means of applying them may sit forward of the driver's seat so long as the belted driver can reach it.
On every bus, if equipped with air brakes, the braking system shall be so constructed that in the event any brake line to any of the front wheels is broken, the driver can apply the brakes on the rear wheels despite such breakage.
49 CFR 393.44
392.8 puts it on the driver personally, and the words are 'is satisfied'.
A signed report from someone else does not discharge it, because you are the one who will need the extinguisher. 392.8 says you must be satisfied the equipment is in place and ready for use.
No commercial motor vehicle shall be driven unless the driver thereof is satisfied that the emergency equipment required by § 393.95 of this subchapter is in place and ready for use
49 CFR 392.8
Three bidirectional triangles or at least 6 fusees.
Hazard lights help but do not satisfy the requirement, because they fail with the electrical system that may have caused the breakdown.
Three bidirectional emergency reflective triangles that conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 125
49 CFR 393.95
Readily accessible, and filled.
An extinguisher in a locked bay is useless in the seconds that matter, and a bus fire spreads through the cabin you are responsible for evacuating.
The fire extinguisher(s) must be filled and located so that it is readily accessible for use.
49 CFR 393.95
Check yourself
- How wide must your standee line be, and where is the boundary it marks?
- What is the sign required on your bus, and what letter height?
- May a passenger sit in a permanent seat located forward of your standee line?
- What is the condition aisle seats on your bus must meet?
- What is required of an unsecured aisle seat on your bus?
- What is the standard that governs seat belt assembly installation on buses?
- What is the standard that covers seating systems on buses built from 1972?
- What is the inspection interval for pushout windows and emergency doors?
- What are the warning devices your bus must carry?
- What is the tire restriction that applies to a bus but not a truck?
- What is the brake system protection required on an air-braked bus?
- Whose duty is it to confirm the emergency equipment is in place before driving?
- What are the warning devices your bus must carry for a highway breakdown?
- What is the required position of your bus's fire extinguisher?
Answers are in the practice test for this topic.