Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release

摘要

This notice denies a petition for reconsideration submitted by Thomas Built Buses, Inc. (Thomas), requesting NHTSA to delay the effective date of certain provisions of the final rule of November 2, 1992. In that rule, NHTSA revised the minimum requirements for school bus emergency exits and specified improved access to school bus emergency doors, effective May 2, 1994. Due to a misunderstanding within the industry about the term ``daylight opening'' in the 1992 rule, NHTSA published a final rule dated May 4, 1994 delaying implementation of the new requirements by four months, i.e., until September 1, 1994. NHTSA has decided to deny Thomas' petition because the relief sought by the petitioner was, in effect, granted by a May 1995 final rule issued by the agency. That final rule replaced the new requirements with charts specifying the number of required school bus emergency exits based on seating capacity.