FMVSS/CMVSS 108 - Lighting Location Requirements - both countries

[buswarrior]

Hello busnuts.

Here are the links to the cooperative sites,

where Transport Canada and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have detailed the federally mandated lighting/reflector/conspicuity treatment requirements that are common to both countries, pictures too!

There is a link to a pdf at the bottom of the Transport Canada link, if you want an easy way to save this reference material to your own computer.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp14116-menu-175.htm

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/standards/conspicuity/TBMpstr.html

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[DMoedave]

Nice post and info. How do the rules apply as to age of vehicle or is this the way it needs to be regardless? I am asking because of the conspictuty tape and the over 30' needing additional mid-point markers. so far that is all i would fail lighting wise for the US requirments.These are good things to have and shouldent be two much hardship to  install (that tape is very pricey!)

[belfert]

I'm failing to see where conspicuity tape is required on the rear.  Am I missing something?

Red reflex reflex reflectors are required on the rear.  In my case, the reflectors are built into my taillights.  You can get stick-on tape refelectors that satisfy this requirement.

[DMoedave]

Looks like your right Brian. I was looking at the profiles of the bus and dident look close enough. when i have time i will see what the #'s and letters refer to but i think your correct. Its not a bad idea to have some back there anyway so if i can do it nicely i think i still will.

[Oonrahnjay]

Looks like your right Brian. I was looking at the profiles of the bus and dident look close enough. when i have time i will see what the #'s and letters refer to but i think your correct. Its not a bad idea to have some back there anyway so if i can do it nicely i think i still will. 

Dave, I don't know exactly which of the provisions that you are looking at but (in general) the regs *allow* you to use reflective tape (or "styling features" like the stripe down the side of the '70 Cobra Mustangs) in place of the ordinary reflector if you choose to do so.  It doesn't require use of reflective tape  under those standards -- although I think that the Insurance Companies strongly encourage it -- or ever require it -- of big rigs companies.  So, you're free to use it if you want to (although since a lot of highway patrolmen want to look for the "DOT" symbol on things, I'll keep my DOT reflectors in addition to the tape).  But it's not required if you already have reflectors that you're happy with.