Selected Federal Government Safety Standards, 1968-1976

As in the previous post, I am pulling things together as I begin again research and writing on the 1970s and automotive history.

“Selected Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards”

Effective in 1968:

Standard No. 102 – Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect – Passenger Cars, Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, Trucks and Buses. Required all vehicles with automatic transmissions to have a neutral shift lever position between the forward and reverse drive positions Whenever a park position is included, it must be located at the end of the shift of the shift lever sequence adjacent to the reverse drive position. An interlock system must prevent the vehicle form starting in reverse or forward drive positions. Transmission braking capability and the permanent marking of the shift lever sequence was also required.

Standard No. 201 – Occupant Protection in Interior Impact. – Passenger Cars: Specified initial requirements to afford occupant impact protection from instrument panels, set backs, sun visors, arm rests, and glove compartment doors.

Standard No. 203 – Impact Protection for the Driver from the steering Control System – Passenger Cars: Specified requirements for the steering systems that yield forward, cushioning the impact of the driver’s chest and absorbing much of the impact of the driver’s chest and absorbing much of the impact energy in front end crashes.

Standard No. 209 – Seat Belt Assemblies – passenger Cars, Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, Trucks and Buses: Specified requirements for seat belt assemblies which apply to straps, webbing, or similar devices as well as necessary buckles and fasteners, and all hardware designed for installing the assembly in a motor vehicle.

Standard No. 210 – Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages – Passenger Car, Multipurpose passenger Vehicles, Trucks and Buses: Set requirements for anchorages for lap belts at all designed seating positions and upper torso restraint belts in all forward facing outboard seats.

Effective in 1969

Standard 202 – Head Restraints – Passenger Cars: Specified requirements for head restraints to reduce the frequency and severity of neck injury in rear-end and other collisions.

Effective in 1970

Standard No. 114 – Tehft Protection – Passenger Cars: Required that each passenger car have a key locking system that whenever the key is removed, prevents normal activation of the car’s engine and also prevents either steering or self-mobility of the car, or both.

Consumer Information Regulations – Part 575 – Required every manufacturer of motor vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1970 to provide the following information to first purchasers of motor vehicles: vehicle stopping distance; tire reserve load, acceleration and passing ability, truck camper loading, uniform tire quality grading system.

Effective in 1971

Standard No. 213 – Child Seating Systems: Specified requirements for any hild seating system which seats a child being transported in a motor vehicle. It included performance requirements, head restraint requirements, and labeling requirements.

Defects reports – part 573 – Required manufacturers to report seftey related defects to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), provide quarterly reports on defect notification campaigns and vehicle production, provide copies of communications with dealers and purchasers concerning defects, and maintain owner lists.

Effective in 1972

Standard No. 215 – Exterior Protection – Passenger Cars: Provided for uniform bumper heights as a means of preventing vehicle underride or override during collisions. Amendments have provided that all passenger cars must pass pendulum impact tests of 5 mph front, 5 mph rear, and 3 mph lowe corner collision force with no resultant damage to lighting, cooling, fuel, exhaust, propulsion, suspension, steering, braking, or doors as of Sept. 1, 1976.

Standard No. 208 – Occupant Crash Protection – Specified requriemtns for both active and passive occupant crash protection systems for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses. Passenger cars had the following options until August 31, 1976:

1) Passive protection at all positions.

 2)  Head-on (only) passive protection with lap belts.

3) Lap and shoulder belt at front outboard positions with a four-to-eight-second reminder buzzer and “Fasten Seat Belt” light. Lap or lap and shoulder belt at all other positions.

Light trucks and multipurpose vehicles were required to have one of these systems after August 15, 1975.

Effective in 1973

Standard No. 214 – Side Door Strength – Passenger Cars: Set test requirements for the purpose of minimizing the safety hazard caused by intrusion into the passenger compartment in a side impact accident.

Standard No. 216 – Roof Crush Resistance – Passenger Cars: Set minimum strength requirements for a passenger car roof to reduce the likelihood of roof collapse in a rollover accident. Provided an alternative to conformity with the rollover test of FMVSS No. 208

Odometer Requirements Regulation – Part 580 – Required a person who transfers ownership of a motor vehicle to give the buyer a written disclosure to the mileage the vehicle has travelled.

Effective in 1975

Standard No. 105 – Hydraulic Brake Systems – Passenger Cars, Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, Trucks and Buses. Established upgraded requirements for passenger car hydraulics and extended applicability to multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses. Applicability for passenger cars was extended to Sept. 1, 1976 and was delayed indefinitely for other categories of vehicles.

Standard 301 – Fuel System Integrity – Passenger Cars, Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, trucks and Buses. Specified requirements for integrity and security of fuel tanks, fuel tank filler pipes, and fuel tank connections to minimize fire hazard as a result of collision in all passenger cars manufactured after January 1, 1968.