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Passenger · Inspecting a Passenger Vehicle

Before a bus goes into service, what does passenger-vehicle guidance call for regarding its emergency exits?

1.Every emergency exit closed, the "Emergency Exit" marking clearly visible, and any red emergency door light, where fitted, working and on when outside lights are usedCorrect answer
2.Exits may be left partly open for ventilation during the run as long as each exit's required marking stays clearly visible to every rider aboard
3.Only the rear emergency exit needs checking before departure, since the forward service door is generally assumed to cover the rest of the bus
4.A red emergency door light that does not work is still acceptable to carry into service as long as the entire run stays in full daylight

Explanation

A bus should enter service with every emergency exit closed, its "Emergency Exit" marking clearly visible, and any red emergency door light working and switched on whenever the outside lights are in use. All three exist because an exit only helps if riders can find it and open it under stress, so an exit standing open, unmarked, or unlit has already lost part of its function before any emergency begins. 49 CFR 383.117(a)(2) names proper use of emergency exits, including push-out windows, as a required knowledge area for this endorsement, but the paragraph does not state any of these checks, so they are attributed to the manual. The wrong options each give up one of the three, and the ventilation option is the clearest failure of the set, since an emergency exit standing open while the bus is moving is itself the hazard rather than a workaround for one.

Source: 49 CFR 383.117(a)(2)

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