Receipt of Petitions for Renewal of Temporary Exemptions From Shoulder Belt Requirement for Side-Facing Seats on Motorcoaches

NHTSA has received identical petitions from 13 final-stage manufacturers of "entertainer-type motorcoaches," seeking renewal of temporary exemptions from a shoulder belt requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant crash protection," for side-facing seats on motorcoaches. The petitioners seek to renew their exemptions that allow them to install Type 1 seat belts (lap belt only) at side-facing seating positions, instead of Type 2 seat belts (lap and shoulder belts) required by FMVSS No. 208. Each petitioner states that, absent the requested exemption, it will otherwise be unable to sell a vehicle whose overall level of safety or impact protection is at least equal to that of a nonexempted vehicle. NHTSA is publishing this document to notify the public of the receipt of the petitions and to request comment on them, in accordance with statutory and administrative provisions.