What 392.62A-PC means in plain language
If you operate a passenger bus, federal regulation requires that standing passengers remain behind a marked white line on the floor—typically located toward the rear of the bus. This line exists as a safety boundary. The regulation prohibits operating a bus when standees are positioned forward of that line, closer to the driver and the front of the vehicle.
The intent is straightforward: standing passengers in the front section of a bus face greater risk during sudden braking, acceleration, or collision. By enforcing a standee line, regulators aim to keep passengers in zones where they are less likely to be thrown forward or struck by the windshield or instrument panel. If you are cited under 392.62A-PC, an inspector observed standing passengers—people not in seats—positioned in front of the white line during a roadside check.
This is a passenger carrier-specific rule. It does not apply to freight-only CMV operations. It applies regardless of whether the bus is a full-size transit coach, a motorcoach, a tour bus, or a limousine-style passenger vehicle.
What our enforcement data actually shows
Across 13 million inspections in our database, 392.62A-PC is exceptionally rare. Our records document only 3 all-time citations for this code, with 1 citation recorded in the last 12 months and 0 in the last 90 days. This ranks 392.62A-PC as #2551 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation volume.
None of the 3 citations in our database resulted in an out-of-service order. The out-of-service rate for 392.62A-PC is 0.0%. For context, the all-FMCSR average out-of-service rate is 31.4%, meaning this violation is far less likely to ground a vehicle than the typical safety code. This does not mean the violation is harmless—it reflects the rarity of enforcement and the fact that when cited, the specific operational instance was usually corrected without removing the vehicle from service.
Who gets cited most
Our inspection records show that enforcement of 392.62A-PC is geographically sparse. The three all-time citations in our database come from a very limited set of carriers. Reston Limousine & Travel Service Inc (USDOT 561180) appears twice in our records, and Jaime N Sanchez Rodriguez (USDOT 4085349) appears once. No state data is available to rank enforcement by jurisdiction because the sample size is too small to produce reliable state-level breakdowns. Fleet managers in passenger service should note that while this violation is infrequently cited, it remains on the books and inspectors do conduct standee-line compliance checks.
How severe is this compared to similar codes
392.62A-PC falls within the Unsafe Driving category alongside a much larger set of violations. The most common peer code is 392.2, which covers operating a CMV while ill or fatigued and carries 1,208,164 all-time citations in our database with a 0.8% out-of-service rate. The variant codes 392.2-SLLSR (191,232 citations, 0.1% OOS) and 392.2RG (96,652 citations, 0.1% OOS) are also in this category. Even within the Unsafe Driving family, 392.62A-PC is dramatically less cited than these fatigue and illness violations.
By volume, 392.62A-PC is in the extreme tail. Most driver-facing safety codes in our database show thousands or millions of citations. This code's rarity does not imply it is unimportant—it reflects the fact that standee-line compliance may be actively prevented by good dispatch and loading practices, or that inspectors prioritize other violations when conducting roadside checks.
How to avoid it
Prevent a 392.62A-PC citation by ensuring standee management and vehicle inspection discipline:
- Pre-trip walkthrough: Before accepting passengers, visually confirm the white standee line is clean, visible, and unmarred. If it is faded, report it to your dispatch or maintenance—a line that cannot be seen cannot be obeyed.
- Capacity and load communication: Confirm with dispatch or your terminal that the number of passengers assigned does not exceed seated capacity. If you must carry standees, brief them verbally on boarding about the standee line and why it exists.
- Monitor standee position during stops: At each boarding point, do a quick visual check before pulling away. If standees are forward of the line, politely direct them rearward or open the rear doors to encourage movement to the back.
- Perform a full walk-through at terminal: Before departing a terminal or rest stop where passengers board or exit, walk the length of the cabin and confirm all standees are aft of the line.
- Know your bus layout: Different bus makes and models may have the standee line in slightly different physical locations. Familiarize yourself with your assigned vehicle and where that line sits in relation to the driver's area and the first few seats.
The vehicle makes cited in our records (BIG TEX, FORD, GLAV, and GLAVAL BUS) span different coach manufacturers, indicating that this violation is not specific to one model type. Regardless of what bus you drive, the rule is the same.