6 CAR § 335-152 – Lamps and signals

(a)
1. (1) Interior lamps shall be provided which adequately illuminate the aisle and stepwell.
2. (2) The stepwell light shall be illuminated by a service door operated switch to illuminate only when headlights and clearance lights are on and the service door is opened.
(b) The body instrument panel lights shall be controlled by a rheostat switch.
(c)
1. (1) School bus alternately flashing signal lamps shall be a non-sequential operating system.
2. (2) The bus shall be equipped with two (2) red lamps at the rear of vehicle and two (2) red lamps at the front of vehicle.
3. (3) In addition to the four (4) red lamps described in subdivision (c)(2) of this section, four (4) amber lamps shall be installed as follows:
  1. (A) One (1) amber lamp shall be located near each red signal lamp, at the same level, but closer to the vertical centerline of bus;
  2. (B) The system of red and amber signal lamps shall be wired so that the amber lamps are energized manually; and
  3. (C) Red lamps are automatically energized (with amber lamps being automatically de-energized) when the:
(i) Stop signal arm is extended; or
1. (ii) Bus service door is opened.
2. (4)
  1. (A) The area around the lens of each alternately flashing signal lamp and extending outward a minimum of three inches (3”) shall be black in color.
  2. (B) In installations where there is no flat vertical portion of body immediately surrounding the entire lens of the lamp, a circular or square band, approximately three inches (3”) wide and one inch (1”) underneath, immediately below and to both sides of the lens, shall be painted black in color on the body or roof area against which the signal lamp is seen (from distance of five hundred feet (500’) along the axis of the vehicle).
  3. (C) Visors or hoods, black in color, with a minimum depth of four inches (4”) may be provided.
3. (5) The red lamp shall flash at any time the stop signal arm is extended.
4. (6) All controlling devices for alternately flashing red and amber signal lamps shall be enclosed in the body in a readily accessible location.
5. (7) All the above lamps and signals shall be LED.
  1. (d) Turn signal and stop/tail lamps.
6. (1)
  1. (A) The bus body shall:
    1. (i) Be equipped with rear turn signal lamps that are at least seven inches (7”) in diameter, or if a shape other than round, a minimum thirty-eight square inches (38 sq. in.) of illuminated area; and
    2. (ii) Meet the specifications of SAE International.
  2. (B)
    1. (i) These signals must be connected to the chassis hazard wiring switch to cause simultaneous flashing of turn signal lamps when needed as vehicular traffic hazard warning.
    2. (ii) Turn signal lamps are to be placed as wide apart as practical and their centerline shall be approximately seven inches (7”) to eight inches (8”) below the rear windows.
  3. (C) Type A vehicle lamps must be:
    1. (i) Twenty-one square inches (21 sq. in.) in lens area; and
    2. (ii) In the manufacturer's standard color.
7. (2)
  1. (A) Buses shall be equipped with four (4) combination red stop/tail lamps.
  2. (B) Two (2) combination lamps with a minimum diameter of seven inches (7”), or if a shape other than round, a minimum of thirty-eight square inches (38 sq. in.) of illuminated area shall be mounted on the rear of the bus just inside the turn signals.
  3. (C)
    1. (i) Two (2) combination lamps with a minimum diameter of four inches (4”), or if a shape other than round, a minimum twelve square inches (12 sq. in.) of illuminated area shall be placed on the rear of the body between the beltline and the floor line.
    2. (ii) The rear license plate lamp may be combined with one (1) lower tail lamp.
    3. (iii) Stop lamps shall:
(a) (a) Be activated by the service brakes; and
(b) (b) Emit a steady light when illuminated.
1. (iv) Type A buses with bodies supplied by a chassis manufacturer may have the manufacturer's standard stop and tail lamps.
2. (3)
  1. (A) Armored clearance lights may be installed.
  2. (B) Receded or flush mounted lights are acceptable.
3. (4) All Type B, Type C, and Type D units shall be equipped with an exterior/interior access panel with a lock and key or trip lever on the inside of the unit for access to the electrical panel.
4. (5) Side mounted directional signals shall be installed on the left side mounted rearward of the stop signal arm and on the right side mounted rearward of the service door of all type buses.
(e)
1. (1) On all buses equipped with the optional sixteen-unit light monitor for the front and rear lamps of the school bus, the monitor shall be mounted in full view of the driver.
2. (2) If the full circuit current passes through the monitor, each circuit shall be protected by a fuse or FET against any short circuit or intermittent shorts.
(f)
1. (1) A white flashing strobe lamp shall be installed on the roof of a school bus at a location not closer than twelve inches (12”) or more than six feet (6’) from the rear of the roof edge.
2. (2) However, if the bus is equipped with a roof hatch or other roof-mounted equipment falling within the above-mentioned measurements, the strobe lamp may be located directly behind that equipment.
3. (3) The lamp shall have a single clear lens emitting light three hundred sixty degrees (360˚) around its vertical axis, meeting the requirements of SAE International J845.
4. (4) It may not extend above the roof more than the maximum legal height.
5. (5) A manual switch and a pilot lamp shall be included to indicate when the lamp is in operation.
6. (6) Optionally, the strobe lamp may be:
  1. (A) Wired to activate with the amber alternately flashing signal lamps, continuing through the full loading or unloading cycle; and
  2. (B) Equipped with an override switch to allow activation of the strobe at any time for use in inclement weather.
(g) All the above turn signals, lamps, and lights shall be LED.

Codification Notes: “FET” means field effect transistor. "LED" means light-emitting diode.