Interpretation ID: aiam2828
Director
Division of Traffic Safety
Illinois Department of Transportation
2300 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield
IL 62764;
Dear Mr. Vieg: This responds to your May 10, 1979, (sic) letter asking questions abou the applicability of Standard No. 222, *School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection*, to buses with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less.; First you ask whether seat spacing must be maintained at a maximum o 21 inches in these vehicles. The answer to your question is no. As you correctly point out in your letter, section S5.2 of the standard that regulates maximum seat spacing does not apply to buses with GVWRs of 10,000 pounds or less. Maximum seat spacing is limited in larger buses as a means of compartmentalizing students to prevent injury in crashes. Compartmentalization, and therefore maximum seat spacing, is not necessary in smaller buses since they are required to be equipped with seat belts which afford significant protection in accidents.; Your second question asks whether it is permissible to have one larg seat belt in a school bus seat that might wrap around two students or whether each designated seating position must have an individual belt system. The agency concludes that the use of one large belt to cover more than one designated seating position violates section S5 of the regulation. That section states that each seating position must comply with seat belt requirements. To meet this requirement, each seating position in a small bus must be equipped with its own belt system.; If we can be of further assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Joan Claybrook