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Transport Canada
Disclaimer: These documents are not the official versions (more). Section 221

MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT

Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations

Standard 221



School Bus Body Joint Strength (Standard 221)

221. (1) The following definitions in this subsection apply in this section.

"body component"

« élément de carrosserie »

"body component" means a part of a bus body, including floor panels, made from a single piece of homogeneous material or from a single piece of composite material such as plywood or plastic.

"body panel"

« panneau de carrosserie »

"body panel" means a body component used on the exterior or interior surface of a bus to enclose the bus occupant space.

"body panel joint"

« joint de panneau de carrosserie »

"body panel joint" means the area of contact, attachment or close proximity between the edges of a body panel and another body component.

"bus body"

« carrosserie d'autobus »

"bus body" means the portion of a bus that encloses the bus occupant space, including the floor and the body panel separating the engine compartment from the occupant space, but excluding the bumpers and chassis frame.

"maintenance access panel"

« panneau d'accès pour l'entretien »

"maintenance access panel" means a body panel that must be moved or removed to provide access to serviceable components. 

"serviceable component"

« élément nécessitant de l'entretien »

"serviceable component" means any part of a bus, of either a mechanical or electrical nature, that is explicitly identified in the owner's manual or factory service manual as requiring routine maintenance actions at intervals of one year or less. Tubing, wires and harnesses are considered to be serviceable components only at their attachments.

(2) This section applies in respect of all school bus body panel joints that lie rearward of the vertical transverse plane located 762 mm in front of the forward-most passenger seating reference point, except those that contact or are attached to or in close proximity to

(a) components such as rub rails that are entirely outside of body panels;

(b) doors, windows, ventilation panels, engine access covers or destination sign covers;

(c) trim or decorative parts that do not contribute to the strength of a body panel joint;

(d) interior maintenance access panels that are 305 mm or less when measured across any two points on the diametrically opposite sides of the opening; or

(e) all exterior maintenance access panels.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), when tested in accordance with Test Method 221, School Bus Body Joint Strength (October 20, 2000), every body panel joint shall be capable of sustaining, without separation, a tensile force that is equal to 60% of the breaking tensile strength within the weakest body panel component attached by the joint.

(4) A body panel joint is not required to be tested if a test specimen cannot be obtained in accordance with Test Method 221, School Bus Body Joint Strength (October 20, 2000) or it has only one discrete fastener or spot weld.

(5) Despite subsection (2), the maintenance access panels referred to in paragraph (2)(d) shall have no unattached segment at the joint longer than 110 mm.

(6) On or before January 14, 2002, a school bus having a GVWR of more than 4 536 kg may conform to this section or to section 221 as it read before the coming into force of this section.

(7) On or before January 14, 2002, a school bus having a GVWR of 4 536 kg or less may conform to this section.

(8) After January 14, 2002, every school bus shall conform to this section.

Established by

SOR/80-160 21 February, 1980 pursuant to sections 4 and 7 of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, effective September 30, 1980

Schedule IV by adding section 221.

SOR/97-421 28 August, 1997 pursuant to subsection 5(1) and section 11 of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, in force August 28, 1997

Paragraph 221(2) of Schedule IV.

SOR/2000-36 9 January, 2001 pursuant to section 5 and subsection 11(1) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, into force January 9, 2001.

Section 221 of Schedule IV and the heading before it are replaced.


Last updated: 2005-03-02 Top of Page Important Notices