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.

From Federal Register — all agencies (federalregister.gov). First seen Oct 10, 2026.

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