Section 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 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 C.F.R. 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. WSR 12-03-084, § 204-21-190, filed 1/13/12, effective 2/13/12; WSR 08-19-104, § 204-21-190, filed 9/17/08, effective 10/18/08.]

RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320. WSR 12-03-084, § 204-21-190, filed 1/13/12, effective 2/13/12; WSR 08-19-104, § 204-21-190, filed 9/17/08, effective 10/18/08.

Rules

392-143,392-145,204-32,392-145,