Wheels have been turning in the heads of internet users who were (not so accurately) told that the three black lines often emblazoned on school buses were primarily markers for the floor, the bottom of seats, and the top of seats. That, however, is only partly true.
Following the resurfacing of a long-running internet rumor about the stripes being used to help emergency services officers identify seating locations, fact-checking site Snopes’ Dan Evon investigated the real purpose of them. It confirmed that not only are the lines called rub rails, but they’re also there as reinforcements to add structure to the sides of a bus.
A spokesperson for school bus manufacturer Blue Bird reaffirmed with the website that rub rails boost “the structural integrity” of school buses. “They are there so that buses can meet crash tests and other safety requirements,” the person added.
While Snopes was told that emergency services look at the lines to figure out where seats are located to help assess accidents, it did not find training materials or credible reports about emergency crews relying on the strips. In addition, vehicle manufacturers do not have to adhere to strict guidelines about where the rub rails should be, with an eight-inch range allowed around the seat level for the middle rub rail and a 10-inch limit from the floor to the lower rub rail; so they wouldn’t serve as an accurate nor consistent gauge.
With that being said, rub rails are required for all school buses—but mainly for structure. They needn’t be black in color, either.
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