A) According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "NHTSA's Chief Counsel interprets the statutes that the agency administers and the regulations that it promulgates. The Chief Counsel's interpretations, issued in the form of letters responding to questions from the motor vehicle industry and the public, represent the definitive view of the agency on the questions addressed and may be relied upon by the regulated industry and members of the public. These interpretations have always been available to the public in the agency's technical reference library. The World Wide web enables (NHTSA) to make them available through the Internet."

Q) Why are they important to Head Start?

A) For more than two decades, NHTSA has had the final say -- shy of formal court action -- of all Federal statutes and regulations involving school buses. The agency's reach has included buses in Head Start, as well as daycare, church and other non-profit service.

Q) Where can I find these Interpretation Letters?

  A) NHTSA posts all it Interpretation Letters on its web site. If you wish to research additional letters, or keep up with new postings, visit NHTSA's Search Tips.

Q) I don't have the time or inclination to research the NHTSA web site to look up Interpretation Letters. Hasn't someone else done so?

A) Yes, The editors of STN have done so. More than 60 interpretation letters pertinent to non-conforming vans in Head Start, daycare, church and other non-profit service, some dating as far back to the early 1980s, have been loaded to the STN web site.

Q) Can I send a request for an Interpretation Letter?

You can send an interpretation request by E-Mail to: Office of the Chief Counsel. Or you can send written requests to the agency at: The Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NCC-01, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20590. Call the agency at (202) 366-3820.