Interpretation ID: aiam2243
Engineering Department
Almac Plastics Inc.
47-42 37th Street
Long Island City
NY 11101;
Dear Mr. Manne: This is in reply to your letter of February 26, 1976, to Mr. Guy Hunte of my staff, concerning the use of Lucite AR (plastic) glazing materials in rear windows of buses.; You state that a rubber harness has been designed to allow the plasti glazing to be inserted into the rear window openings of the bus. You further state that once inserted into the rubber harness, the glazing can be easily pushed out and therefore would fall within the definition of readily removable windows. Thus, plastic glazing could be used in such windows.; It is not clear whether the rear bus window you described in you letter would be classified as a readily removable window as defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 205, Glazing Materials. However, if the glazing can be pushed out as easily as you say, it is clear that it would not meet the window retention requirements specified in FMVSS No. 217, Bus Window Retention and Release.; Standard No. 205 specifies requirements for glazing and the vehicl locations in which various types of glazing may be used. The standard prohibits the use of plastic glazing in rear windows of buses unless they are readily removable as defined in the standard. However, in response to a petition submitted by General Motors Corporation, we are currently preparing a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that would amend the standard to permit the use of plastic glazing in all bus windows except windshields and windows to the immediate left and right of the driver. We anticipate that this NPRM will be published in the *Federal Register* in the near future.; A copy of Standard No. 205 and Standard No. 217 were previously maile to you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.; Sincerely, Robert L. Carter, Associate Administrator, Motor Vehicl Programs;