CAN/CSA-D250-16 (R2021)

Overview

School buses are a daily mode of transportation for children and youth across the country. Provincial regulations, legislation, and standards help to make school bus transportation safe. The tenth edition of CSA D250 is one such contributor.

In 2008, CSA Group published D270 Multi-Functional Activity Buses, which was later amalgamated with D250, recognizing that in Canada the majority of these buses are used to transport children and youth for school related activities. Special requirements of multi-functional activity buses are outlined in Clause 8 of D250, now referred to as ‘multi-functional school activity buses’.

The main purpose of this standard is to provide the safest possible vehicle for students using school buses. It needs to be stressed, however, that standards are not substitutes for thorough, ongoing, and comprehensive safety training of students and drivers. D250 is a manufacturing standard intended to apply to original equipment supplied by the bus manufacture and is applies to vehicles manufactured on or after November 1, 2016. The manufacturing date of the vehicle is considered to be the date on the federal compliance label.

Highlights of D250:

• Clearly specifies the chassis and body requirements and safety equipment requirements for school buses
• Covers design for wheelchair accessibility and requirements of handrails, as well as updated requirements for lifts and seating in accessible school buses
• Specifies testing requirements for side intrusion school bus construction materials
• Addition of provisions for vehicles powered with alternative fuel systems
• Inclusion of added provisions for vehicles powered by alternative fuel systems
• Outlines modified weight ranges for various school bus types (harmonization with the U.S. classification scheme)
• Describes improvements to requirements for emergency equipment, emergency lighting, and emergency exits

Preface

This is the tenth edition of CSA D250, School buses. It supersedes the previous editions, published in 2012, 2007, 2003, 2000, 1998, 1985, 1979, 1975, and 1971. CSA D270, Multi-functional activity buses, has been amalgamated into this edition of CSA D250 (as Clause 8). As such, this Standard replaces CSA D270.

CSA D270, Multi-functional activity buses, was published in 2008 to address the need for a safer alternative to the use of buses not classified as school buses in the transportation of passengers to child care, pre-primary, primary, youth, or community activities or facilities. An assessment of the use of these buses across Canada found that the vast majority of them were being used for the transportation of children and youths for school-related activities and community recreational activities. In view of this, and considering that most of the design criteria for these buses were derived from CSA D250, the Technical Committee agreed that the two Standards should be amalgamated, with the special requirements for multi-functional activity buses incorporated as a separate clause (Clause 8) in D250. With this amalgamation, multi-functional activity buses are now identified as multifunction school activity buses (MFSABs).

The following are significant changes made in this edition of CSA D250 (see also Annex E):

- modified weight ranges for various school bus types (harmonization with the U.S. classification scheme);

- added provisions for vehicles powered by alternative fuel systems;

- clarification of chassis and body colour requirements;

- various improvements to requirements for emergency equipment, emergency lighting, and emergency exits;

- modifications to exterior lighting requirements;

- modifications to requirements for windows;

- updated requirements for lifts and seating in accessible school buses (see Clause 7); and

- requirements integrated from CSA D270 (now withdrawn) for Multifunction school activity buses (see Clause 8).

This Standard is intended to apply to vehicles manufactured on or after November 1, 2016. The manufacturing date of the vehicle is considered to be the date on the federal compliance label.

This Standard has been developed in compliance with Standards Council of Canada requirements for National Standards of Canada. It has been published as a National Standard of Canada by CSA Group.

Scope

1.1

This Standard specifies the chassis and body requirements and safety equipment requirements for school buses. It is a manufacturing standard intended to apply to original equipment supplied by the bus manufacturer.

Note: The main purpose of this Standard is to provide the safest possible vehicle for students using school buses. It needs to be stressed, however, that standards are not substitutes for thorough, ongoing, and comprehensive safety training of students and drivers.

1.2

This Standard applies to the following types of vehicles:

a) Type A1, A2, B, C, and D school buses;

b) Type A1, A2, B, C, and D accessible school buses; and

c) Multifunction school activity buses (MFSABs).

Note: It is intended that this Standard will apply to those vehicles manufactured on and after November 1, 2016. It is anticipated that the authority having jurisdiction in each Province or Territory will apply this Standard to vehicles manufactured on and after that date.

1.3

In this Standard, shall is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (nonmandatory) to define their application.

1.4

The values given in SI units are the units of record for the purposes of this Standard. The values given in parentheses are for information and comparison only.

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