(1)
Signal lamps. Every
school bus shall be equipped with 8-way warning lamps consisting of two red and
two amber alternately flashing signal lamps at the rear of the vehicle and two
red and two amber alternately flashing signal lamps at the front of the
vehicle.
(i) Each amber signal lamp shall be
located near each red signal lamp, at the same level, but closer to the
vertical centerline of the school bus.
(ii) The system shall be wired so that the
amber signal lamps are activated manually, and if activated, are automatically
deactivated and the red signal lamps automatically activated when the school
bus service door is opened.
(iii)
Amber and red warning lamps must alternate between left and right at a minimum
rate of 60 flashes per minute.
(iv)
LED and/or strobe lights may be used in the 8-way warning lamps
system.
(v) If strobe lights are
used, the strobe effect must appear as a flash of varying intensity and not
separate flashes. All amber and red warning lamps must strobe in the same
pattern. The same pattern is the same number of flashes per lamp before the
system alternates to the other side.
(vi) The area around the lens of each
alternately flashing signal lamp shall be of a black contrasting color. The use
of visors or hoods with an appropriate black background to fit the shape of the
visors or hoods and the roofcap is permitted.
(vii) Flashers for alternately flashing red
and amber signal lamps shall be enclosed in the school bus body in a readily
accessible location.
(2)
Stop signal arm devices. A school bus may be equipped with
strobe or LED flashing stop signal, or both. The signal may be equipped with
two flashing strobe or LED lights, or both, at least 4 inches in diameter, red
in color and double faced. Stop signal arm devices on school buses shall comply
with FMVSS No. 131-See Appendix A-and the following requirements:
(i) The stop signal arm shall be a regular
octagon which is at least 450 mm x 450 mm-17.72 inches x 17.72 inches-in
diameter.
(ii) The stop signal arm
shall be red on both sides, except as provided in subparagraphs
(iii)-(v).
(iii) The stop signal
arm shall have a white border at least 12 mm-0.47 inch-wide on both sides,
except as provided in subparagraph (v).
(iv) The stop signal arm shall have the word
"STOP" displayed in white upper-case letters on both sides, except as provided
in subparagraph (v). The letters shall be at least 150 mm-5.9 inches-in height
and have a stroke width of at least 20 mm-0.79 inch.
(v) If two stop signal arms are installed on
a school bus, the rearmost stop signal arm may not contain lettering, symbols
or markings on the forward side.
(vi) The stop signal arm shall comply with
clause (A) or (B), or both.
(A) The entire
surface of both sides of the stop signal arm shall be reflectorized with Type
III reflectorized material that meets the minimum specific intensity
requirements of FMVSS No. 125. See Appendix A. If two stop signal arms are
installed on a school bus, the forward side of the rearmost stop signal arm may
not be reflectorized.
(B) Each side
of the stop signal arm shall have at least two red lamps that meet the
requirements of SAE Standard J578. See Appendix A. The lamps shall be centered
on the vertical centerline of the stop arm. One of the lamps shall be located
at the extreme top of the stop arm and the other at its extreme
bottom.
(vii) The stop
signal arm shall be installed on the left side of the bus.
(viii) The stop signal arm shall be located
so that, when in the extended position, the following requirements are met:
(A) The stop signal arm is perpendicular to
the side of the bus, ±5°F.
(B) The top edge of the sign is parallel to
and within 6 inches of a horizontal plane tangent to the lower edge of the
driver's window frame.
(C) The
vertical centerline of the stop sign is at least 9 inches away from the side of
the school bus.
(ix) If a
rearmost stop signal arm is installed on a school bus, the stop signal arm
shall comply with subparagraphs (vii) and (viii).
(x) The stop signal arm shall be
automatically extended so that it complies with subparagraph (viii), at a
minimum, whenever the red signal lamps required by FMVSS No. 108, S5.1.4-See
Appendix A-are activated; except that a device may be installed that prevents
the automatic extension of a stop signal arm. The mechanism for activating the
device shall be within the reach of the driver. While the device preventing
automatic extension is activated, a continuous or intermittent signal audible
to the driver shall sound. The audible signal may be equipped with a timing
device but shall require the signal to sound for at least 60 seconds. If a
timing device is used, it shall automatically recycle each time the service
entry door is opened while the engine is running and the manual override is
engaged.
(xi) The lamps on each
side of the stop signal arm, when operated at the manufacturer's design load,
shall flash at a minimum rate of 60 flashes per minute.
(xii) The stop signal arm and components
shall comply with SAE Standard J1133. See Appendix A.
