NHTSA recall 18E056000 · Equipment
Seats
The defect
Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company (HSM) is recalling certain CE White SB11-30" series, standard, unbelted, school bus seats, and SB11-30" series school bus seats with lap belts only. The foam in the knee impact area of the lower seat back may not absorb enough impact in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection."
The risk
If the seat foam does not absorb enough impact energy, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The remedy
HSM will notify the bus manufacturers that purchased the seats, and dealers for those manufacturers will insert an additional piece of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam into the seatback, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2018. Owners may contact HSM customer service at 1-419-492-2157 extension 243.