PERMANENT RULES
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: Changes are needed to reference current standards regarding lamps so school buses can comply with new technology and save public school districts money when purchasing new buses and replacing lamp bulbs.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 204-21-190 and 204-21-210.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 11-23-132 on November 21, 2011.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: January 13, 2012.
John R. Batiste
Chief
OTS-4379.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 08-19-104, filed 9/17/08,
effective 10/18/08)
WAC 204-21-190
School bus warning lamps.
(1) If the bus
is a privately owned school bus or private carrier bus, then
it must not use the eight lamp warning system unless such use
is in conformance with the rules and regulations set forth by
the superintendent of public instruction in chapters 392-143
and 392-145 WAC. The requirements for private carrier buses
may be found under chapter 204-32 WAC.
(2) If the bus is a school bus owned and operated by any public school district and all privately owned school buses operated under contract with a school district in the state and used for the transportation of public school children, then the warning lamp system must:
(a) Be operated in accordance with the regulations set forth in chapter 392-145 WAC.
(b) Consist of a total of eight lamps conforming to SAE
Standard J887((a, J1318,)) or the standard in effect for such
lamp at the time it was manufactured. Two amber and two red
on both the front and rear of the bus. The amber lamps must
be mounted inboard of the red lamps.
(c) Be mounted as high as practicable on the bus body and as near the outside edges of the body as curvature permits.
(d) Have shielding to protect the lamps from the elements and/or be mounted flush with the body surface.
(e) Be mounted on a background that is painted black and extends a minimum of three inches outward from the lamps.
(f) Be mounted and aimed as specified in 49 CFR Part 571.108 (FMVSS 108) and SAE Standard J887a.
(g) Be clearly visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet in normal sunlight.
(h) Be activated only by means of a manually operated switch. Such activation will cause the right and left amber lamps to flash alternately until the stop signal arm is extended, or the bus entrance door is opened, at which time the amber lamps must be automatically deactivated and the right and left red lamps must be automatically activated. Whenever the warning lamp system has been activated, opening of the entrance door must automatically deactivate the amber lamps, cause the stop signal arm to extend, and activate the red lamps. Automatic extension of the stop signal arm does not apply to systems equipped with a manually operated stop signal arm.
(i) Have all lamps flashing at a rate from sixty to one hundred twenty times per minute and must reach full brilliance during each cycle.
(j) Have lamp controls which must consist of:
(i) The master or sequencing switch which must be in plain view and mounted within easy reach of the driver, and which must activate the system sequencing and deactivate the system at any time during the sequence.
(ii) An override switch which must automatically activate the red lamps whenever the stop signal arm is extended even though the master control switch is turned off, and which must automatically deactivate the amber lamps if previously activated regardless of the then present normal state of sequencing or entrance door position. Such override switch must be designed and installed so as to function with air, vacuum, electric, or manually operated stop signal arms. The stop signal arm must be capable of being extended at any time, regardless of the position of the entrance door. The opening of the entrance door must not cause extension of the stop signal arm, or the activation of the red lamps unless the master switch has been activated.
(iii) A minimum of two pilot lamps, one amber and one red, each of which must flash when the like colored warning lamps are in operation. Pilot lamps which show the operation of each individual lamp are permissible. All pilot indicators must be located so as to be clearly visible to the driver.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320. 08-19-104, § 204-21-190, filed 9/17/08, effective 10/18/08.]
(1) School buses may be equipped with a single additional hazard strobe lamp in addition to the eight lamp warning system. Such lamps must:
(a) Not be mounted any closer than six feet from the rear of the bus measured from a vertical plane tangent to the rearmost point of the bus body. However:
(i) If the bus is equipped with a roof hatch falling within the above mentioned measurements, the strobe lamp may be located directly behind the roof hatch.
(ii) If the bus has a clear lens strobe lamp, less than eight inches in height, it may be mounted on the centerline of the roof in the rear one-half of the bus.
(b) Be activated by a switch independent of all other lamp switches. This switch must be plainly labeled and have a pilot lamp that must indicate when the lamp is in operation.
(c) Only be used when the bus is occupied with school children and one or more of the following conditions exists:
(i) The bus is in motion in inclement, sight obscuring conditions, including but not limited to rain, fog, snow, and smoke;
(ii) There is a need to improve the visibility of the bus when stopping, standing, or starting onto a highway;
(iii) There is limited visibility caused by geographic hazards such as winding roadways, hills, trees, buildings, etc.
The strobe lamp shall not be activated solely because of darkness.
(2) Municipal transit vehicles (as defined in RCW 46.04.355) may be equipped with a single additional hazard strobe lamp. Such lamps:
(a) May be mounted on the centerline of the roof in the rear one-half of the bus so long as the lamp is clear and less than eight inches in height.
(b) Be activated by a switch independent of all other lamp switches. The hazard strobe lamp switch must be plainly labeled and have a pilot lamp that must indicate when the lamp is in operation.
(c) Only be used when the bus is occupied with passengers and one or more of the following conditions exists:
(i) The bus is in motion in inclement, sight obscuring conditions, including but not limited to rain, fog, snow, and smoke;
(ii) There is a need to improve the visibility of the bus when stopping, standing, or starting onto a highway;
(iii) There is limited visibility caused by geographic hazards, such as winding roadways, hills, trees, etc.
The strobe lamp must not be activated solely because of darkness.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320. 08-19-104, § 204-21-210, filed 9/17/08, effective 10/18/08.]