Sec. 76.11. School vehicles

(a) No vehicle owned or controlled by a drivers' school may be used for the purposes of giving driving instruction until the licensee has reported such vehicle information as is required by the commissioner.

(b) Drivers' school vehicles must be reported to the driver’s school unit in the central office of the Department of Motor Vehicles, Albany, New York on a form prescribed for such purpose by the commissioner.

(c) A record of drivers' school vehicles is required for all additional or substitute vehicles.

(d) All drivers' school vehicles, except motorcycles, must be equipped as follows:

(1) with seat belts for both the student and the instructor or a passive in-car restraint as approved by law, Federal regulation, or by the commissioner, additional rear-view mirror for the use of the instructor, and otherwise equipped in accordance with the Vehicle and Traffic Law. If the operation of such vehicle requires a class A, B or C license, it must also be equipped with an additional side-view mirror for the use of the instructor. Seat belts are not required on vehicles which may only be operated by a holder of a class A, B or C license, except for school buses, in accordance with section 49.2 of this Title; school buses are required to have seat belts as specified in section 49.6 of this Title, with the number of such seat belts dependent upon the seating capacity;

(2) with dual controls on foot brakes. Tractor trailer combinations owned or controlled by a drivers' school need not be equipped with dual controls on foot brakes. However, such combination must be equipped with some type of device, such as a trolley brake, which will permit the instructor to bring the vehicle to a halt;

(3) with a sign or signs if used for instruction purposes, containing the words STUDENT DRIVER in letters no less than two inches in height and one-fourth inch stroke, against a background of a contrasting color, visible from both the front and rear, and not obstructed by any other sign. The sign must contain all the letters of the words STUDENT DRIVER. The sign or signs may be one two-faced roof sign, or two roof signs, or a sign on the front and a sign on the rear, or front and rear bumper stickers. The sign may be either permanent or removable. The sign may contain advertising material. Notwithstanding the foregoing, compliance with this paragraph shall not be a prerequisite for the issuance of a record of drivers' school certified vehicles.