NHTSA Greenlights Belt-Free Seats on Party Buses: Entertainers Roll On
Published Date: 7/18/2025
Notice
Summary
NHTSA is giving 13 motorcoach makers a thumbs-up to keep using lap belts (no shoulder belts) on side-facing seats for now. This means entertainer-style buses can keep rolling with their current seatbelt setup while still staying safe. These temporary exemptions help manufacturers keep selling their vehicles without extra costs or delays.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Manufacturers May Keep Lap-Belt Design
NHTSA granted renewal of 13 temporary exemptions that let final-stage manufacturers of entertainer-type motorcoaches continue to install Type 1 seat belts (lap belt only) at side-facing seats instead of the Type 2 (lap and shoulder) belts required by FMVSS No. 208. The renewals enable those makers to keep selling their vehicles without having to retrofit Type 2 belts, avoiding extra costs or delays to production and sales.
Passengers Will Continue To Have Lap Belts
For entertainer-type motorcoaches with side-facing seats, NHTSA's renewals let makers keep using Type 1 lap belts rather than Type 2 lap-and-shoulder belts as required by FMVSS No. 208. The agency determined the exempted vehicles' overall level of safety or impact protection is at least equal to that of nonexempted vehicles.
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