Section 1263.2 - Charter Party Carrier Bus Safety(a) Emergency lighting fixtures. Motor carriers shall not operate any bus designed to carry 39 passengers or more including the driver, manufactured on or after July 1, 2020, and described in Section 5363(1)(b) of the Public Utilities Code, unless the bus is properly equipped and in compliance with the following requirements: (1) Buses shall be equipped with emergency lighting fixtures that will automatically illuminate the interior of the bus in the event of an impact, collision, or rollover, under all conditions of bus operation and orientation, including when the bus is stationary.(2) Emergency lighting fixtures shall be permanently mounted in locations throughout the interior of the bus in a manner which does not interfere with passenger ingress, egress, or comfort, including egress through required emergency exits. The fixtures shall not have sharp edges or protrusions which may cause injury to passengers or damage to property.(A) Interior lamps meeting the requirements of Section 1217(h) may be used, in whole or in part, to fulfill this requirement.(3) Emergency lighting fixtures. which illuminate automatically as required by subdivision (a)(5), shall remain illuminated until all passengers, including the driver, have exited or been evacuated from the interior of the bus.(4) Light emitted by the emergency lighting fixtures shall be sufficient to illuminate the entire interior of the bus in a manner sufficient to facilitate egress of passengers in the event of an emergency.(5) Emergency lighting fixtures shall automatically illuminate when the bus is involved in any incident in which the bus rolls over, is impacted by any object, or is involved in any collision, at any angle, when that impact or collision exerts a force of greater than 5 times the force of gravity on any passenger or the driver, or exceeds the equivalent of a 10 mile per hour impact of the bus versus any stationary object.(6) Emergency lighting fixtures shall be electrically self-powered, powered by the bus electrical system, powered by an auxiliary electrical source, or any combination thereof.(7) In addition to automatic illumination requirements, emergency lights may be illuminated manually by the driver or any person within the driver's compartment. Notwithstanding manual illumination, if the bus is involved in any incident outlined in subdivision (a)(5), the lights shall illuminate automatically and remain illuminated without manual intervention.(8) Emergency lighting fixtures and their installation shall meet, and may not be in conflict with, any applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, in effect at the time of the emergency lighting fixture installation.(b) Compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Every bus described in subdivision (a) shall, at all times, be maintained in compliance with all FMVSS in effect at the time of manufacture.(1) No person shall at any time disable, render ineffective, or remove any device or element of design required by any FMVSS applicable at the time of manufacture.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 13, § 1263.2
1. New section filed 12-20-2018; operative 12-20-2018 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2018, No. 51). Note: Authority cited: Sections 2402, 27426, 34500.1 and 34501, Vehicle Code. Reference: Section 27425, Vehicle Code; and Section 5363, Public Utilities Code.
1. New section filed 12-20-2018; operative 12/20/2018 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2018, No. 51).