1332                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 751

CHAPTER 751
(House Bill 454)

AN ACT to add new Section 266A to Article 66½ of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Motor Vehicles," subtitle
"Operation of Vehicles Upon Highways," to follow immediately
after Section 266 thereof to require all school buses in the State,
in a jurisdiction where passengers are required or allowed to cross
in front of a school bus, to be equipped with a cross view or similar

convex mirror which will permit through its use observation of

the area immediately in front of the bus, to specify the require-

ments for such mirrors, and to require local boards of education

to furnish such mirrors for school buses TO BE EQUIPPED WITH
A CROSS-VIEW OR SIMILAR MIRROR TO PERMIT THE
OPERATOR'S OBSERVATION IN FRONT OF THE BUS AND
RELATING GENERALLY TO THE APPLICATION AND USE
OF THIS REQUIREMENT.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 266A be and it is hereby added to Article 66y₂
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Motor
Vehicles," subtitle "Operation of Vehicles Upon Highways," to follow
immediately after Section 266 thereof, and to read as follows:

266A.

     After January 1, 1967, every school bus in the State as defined in

this article, in a jurisdiction where passengers are required or allowed
to cross in front of a school bus, shall be equipped with a cross-view
or similar mirror which will permit the operator of the bus to observe
through its use the area from the front bumper of the bus forward

to the point where direct observation is possible. The mirror shall
be a convex mirror at least seven and one-half inches in diameter

which shall be securely attached to the bus as designated by regulation

of the State Board of Education. If the mirror is attached to the

bumper of the bus, it shall be held by at least three attachments.

Mirrors meeting the requirements of this section shall be provided at
the expense of each local board of education for attachment to buses.

AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 1966 1967, EVERY SCHOOL BUS IN THE
STATE AS DEFINED IN THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE EQUIPPED
WITH A CROSS-VIEW OR SIMILAR MIRROR WHICH PERMITS
THE OPERATOR OF THE BUS TO OBSERVE THROUGH ITS
USE THE AREA FROM THE FRONT BUMPER OF THE BUS
FORWARD TO THE POINT WHERE DIRECT OBSERVATION IS
POSSIBLE, EXCEPT THOSE BUSES WHICH MAY BE EX-
CLUDED BY SPECIFIC DESIGNATION BY THE STATE DE-
PARTMENT OF EDUCATION IF THE MIRROR WOULD SERVE
NO USEFUL PURPOSE BECAUSE OF THE CONFIGURATION
OF THE SCHOOL BUS. THE TYPE OF MIRROR AND ITS
METHOD OF ATTACHMENT SHALL BE DESIGNATED BY
REGULATION OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN
ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SEC-
TION.