491 - gpo.gov nat’l highway traffic safety admin., dot §571.208 s5.1.2 if the seat back and the...

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Nat’l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., DOT § 571.208

S5.1.2 If the seat back and the seat benchare attached to the vehicle by different at-tachments, attach to each component a fix-ture capable of transmitting a force to thatcomponent. Apply forces, in newtons, equalto 20 times the mass of the seat in kilogramsmultiplied by 9.8 horizontally through thecenter of gravity of the seat back, as shownin Figure 2 and apply forces, in newtons,equal to 20 times the mass of the seat inkilograms multiplied by 9.8 horizontallythrough the center of gravity of the seatbench, as shown in Figure 3.

§ 571.208 Standard No. 208; Occupantcrash protection.

S1. Scope. This standard specifies per-formance requirements for the protec-tion of vehicle occupants in crashes.

S2. Purpose. The purpose of thisstandard is to reduce the number ofdeaths of vehicle occupants, and the se-verity of injuries, by specifying vehiclecrashworthiness requirements in termsof forces and accelerations measuredon anthropomorphic dummies in testcrashes, and by specifying equipmentrequirements for active and passive re-straint systems.

S3. Application. This standard appliesto passenger cars, multipurpose pas-senger vehicles, trucks, and buses. Inaddition, S9, Pressure vessels and explo-sive devices, applies to vessels designedto contain a pressurized fluid or gas,and to explosive devices, for use in theabove types of motor vehicles as partof a system designed to provide protec-tion to occupants in the event of acrash. Notwithstanding any languageto the contrary, any vehicle manufac-tured after March 19, 1997 and beforeSeptember 1, 2001 that is subject to adynamic crash test requirement con-ducted with unbelted dummies maymeet the requirements specified in S13instead of the applicable unbelted re-quirement. Compliance with S13 shall,for purposes of Standards No. 201, 203and 209, be deemed as compliance withthe unbelted frontal barrier require-ments of S5.1 of this section.

S4. General requirements.S4.1 Passenger cars.S4.1.1 Passenger cars manufactured

from January 1, 1972, to August 31, 1973.Each passenger car manufactured fromJanuary 1, 1972, to August 31, 1973, in-clusive, shall meet the requirements ofS4.1.1.1, S4.1.1.2, or S4.1.1.3. A protec-tion system that meets the require-

ments of S4.1.1.1, or S4.1.1.2 may be in-stalled at one or more designated seat-ing positions of a vehicle that other-wise meets the requirements of S4.1.1.3.

S4.1.1.1 First option—complete passiveprotection system. The vehicle shallmeet the crash protection require-ments of S5. by means that require noaction by vehicle occupants.

S4.1.1.2 Second option—lap belt pro-tection system with belt warning. The ve-hicle shall—

(a) At each designated seating posi-tion have a Type 1 seatbelt assembly ora Type 2 seatbelt assembly with a de-tachable upper torso portion that con-forms to S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard;

(b) At each front outboard designatedseating position, have a seat belt warn-ing system that conforms to S7.3; and

(c) Meet the frontal crash protectionrequirements of S5.1, in a perpendicu-lar impact, with respect toanthropomorphic test devices in eachfront outboard designated seating posi-tion restrained only by Type 1 seat beltassemblies.

S4.1.1.3 Third option—lap and shoul-der belt protection system with belt warn-ing.

S4.1.1.3.1 Except for convertiblesand open-body vehicles, the vehicleshall—

(a) At each front outboard designatedseating position have a Type 2 seatbeltassembly that conforms to § 571.209 andS7.1 and S7.2 of this standard, with ei-ther an integral or detachable uppertorso portion, and a seatbelt warningsystem that conforms to S7.3;

(b) At each designated seating posi-tion other than the front outboard po-sitions, have a Type 1 or Type 2 seatbelt assembly that conforms to § 571.209and to S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard;and

(c) When it perpendicularly impacts afixed collision barrier, while movinglongitudinally forward at any speed upto and including 30 m.p.h., under thetest conditions of S8.1 withanthropomorphic test devices at eachfront outboard position restrained byType 2 seatbelt assemblies, experienceno complete separation of any load-bearing element of a seatbelt assemblyor anchorage.

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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

S4.1.1.3.2 Convertibles and open-body type vehicles shall at each des-ignated seating position have a Type 1or Type 2 seatbelt assembly that con-forms to § 571.209 and to S7.1 and S7.2 ofthis standard, and at each front out-board designated seating position havea seatbelt warning system that con-forms to S7.3.

S4.1.2 Passenger cars manufactured onor after September 1, 1973, and before Sep-tember 1, 1986. Each passenger car man-ufactured on or after September 1, 1973,and before September 1, 1986, shallmeet the requirements of S4.1.2.1,S4.1.2.2 or S4.1.2.3. A protection systemthat meets the requirements of S4.1.2.1or S4.1.2.2 may be installed at one ormore designated seating positions of avehicle that otherwise meets the re-quirements of S4.1.2.3.

S4.1.2.1 First option—frontal/angularautomatic protection system. The vehicleshall:

(a) At each front outboard designatedseating position meet the frontal crashprotection requirements of S5.1 bymeans that require no action by vehi-cle occupants;

(b) At the front center designatedseating position and at each rear des-ignated seating position have a Type 1or Type 2 seat belt assembly that con-forms to Standard No. 209 and to S7.1and S7.2; and

(c) Either. (1) Meet the lateral crashprotection requirements of S5.2 and therollover crash protection requirementsof S5.3 by means that require no actionby vehicle occupants; or

(2) At each front outboard designatedseating position have a Type 1 or Type2 seat belt assembly that conforms toStandard No. 209 and S7.1 through S7.3,and that meets the requirements ofS5.1 with front test dummies as re-quired by S5.1, restrained by the Type1 or Type 2 seat belt assembly (or thepelvic portion of any Type 2 seat beltassembly which has a detachable uppertorso belt) in addition to the meansthat require no action by the vehicleoccupant.

S4.1.2.2 Second option—head-on auto-matic protection system. The vehicleshall—

(a) At each designated seating posi-tion have a Type 1 seat belt assemblyor Type 2 seat belt assembly with a de-

tachable upper torso portion that con-forms to S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard.

(b) At each front outboard designatedseating position, meet the frontalcrash protecton requirements of S5.1,in a perpendicular impact, by meansthat require no action by vehicle occu-pants;

(c) At each front outboard designatedseating position, meet the frontalcrash protection requirements of S5.1,in a perpendicular impact, with a testdevice restrained by a Type 1 seat beltassembly; and

(d) At each front outboard designatedseating position, have a seat belt warn-ing system that conforms to S7.3.

S4.1.2.3 Third option—lap and shoul-der belt protection system with belt warn-ing.

S4.1.2.3.1 Except for convertiblesand open-body vehicles, the vehicleshall—

(a) At each front outboard designatedseating position have a seat belt as-sembly that conforms to S7.1 and S7.2of this standard, and a seat belt warn-ing system that conforms to S7.3. Thebelt assembly shall be either a Type 2seat belt assembly with a nondetach-able shoulder belt that conforms toStandard No. 209 (§ 571.209), or a Type 1seat belt assembly such that with atest device restrained by the assemblythe vehicle meets the frontal crash pro-tection requirements of S5.1 in a per-pendicular impact.

(b) At any center front designatedseating position, have a Type 1 or Type2 seat belt assembly that conforms toStandard No. 209 (§ 571.209) and to S7.1and S7.2 of this standard, and a seatbelt warning system that conforms toS7.3; and

(c) At each other designated seatingposition, have a Type 1 or Type 2 seatbelt assembly that conforms to Stand-ard No. 209 (§ 571.209) and S7.1 and S7.2of this standard.

S4.1.2.3.2 Convertibles and open-body type vehicles shall at each des-ignated seating position have a Type 1or Type 2 seat belt assembly that con-forms to Standard No. 209 (§ 571.209) andto S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard, and ateach front designated seating positionhave a seat belt warning system thatconforms to S7.3.


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S4.1.3 Passenger cars manufactured onor after September 1, 1986, and before Sep-tember 1, 1989.

S4.1.3.1 Passenger cars manufacturedon or after September 1, 1986, and beforeSeptember 1, 1987.

S4.1.3.1.1 Subject to S4.1.3.1.2 andS4.1.3.4, each passenger car manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1986, andbefore September 1, 1987, shall complywith the requirements of S4.1.2.1,S4.1.2.2 or S4.1.2.3. A vehicle shall notbe deemed to be in noncompliance withthis standard if its manufacturer estab-lishes that it did not have reason toknow in the exercise of due care thatsuch vehicle is not in conformity withthe requirement of this standard.

S4.1.3.1.2 Subject to S4.1.3.4 andS4.1.5, the amount of passenger cars,specified in S4.1.3.1.1 complying withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1 shall benot less than 10 percent of:

(a) The average annual production ofpassenger cars manufactured on orafter September 1, 1983, and before Sep-tember 1, 1986, by each manufacturer,or

(b) The manufacturer’s annual pro-duction of passenger cars during theperiod specified in S4.1.3.1.1.

S4.1.3.1.3 A manufacturer may ex-clude convertibles which do not complywith the requirements of S4.1.2.1, whenit is calculating its average annual pro-duction under S4.1.3.1.2(a) or its annualproduction under S4.1.3.1.2(b).



S4.1.3.2.2 Subject to S4.1.3.4 andS4.1.5, the amount of passenger carsspecified in S4.1.3.2.1 complying withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1. shall benot less than 25 percent of:

(a) The average annual production ofpassenger cars manufactured on or

after September 1, 1984, and before Sep-tember 1, 1987, by each manufacturer,or





S4.1.3.3.2 Subject to S4.1.3.4 andS4.1.5, the amount of passenger carsspecified in S4.1.3.3.1 complying withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1 shall benot less than 40 percent of:

(a) The average annual production ofpassenger cars manufactured on orafter September 1, 1985, and before Sep-tember 1, 1988, by each manufacturer or



S4.1.3.4 Calculation of complying pas-senger cars.

(a) For the purposes of calculatingthe numbers of cars manufacturedunder S4.1.3.1.2, S4.1.3.2.2, or S4.1.3.3.2to comply with S4.1.2.1:

(1) Each car whose driver’s seatingposition complies with the require-ments of S4.1.2.1(a) by means not in-cluding any type of seat belt and whosefront right seating position will com-ply with the requirements of S4.1.2.1(a)by any means is counted as 1.5 vehi-cles, and


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

(2) Each car whose driver’s seatingposition complies with the require-ments of S4.1.2.1(a) by means not in-cluding any type of seat belt and whoseright front seat seating position isequipped with a manual Type 2 seatbelt is counted as one vehicle.

(b) For the purposes of complyingwith S4.1.3.1.2, a passenger car may becounted if it:

(1) Is manufactured on or after Sep-tember 1, 1985, but before September 1,1986, and

(2) Complies with S4.1.2.1.(c) For the purposes of complying

with S4.1.3.2.2, a passenger car may becounted if it:

(1) Is manufactured on or after Sep-tember 1, 1985, but before September 1,1987,

(2) Complies with S4.1.2.1, and(3) Is not counted toward compliance

with S4.1.3.1.2(d) For the purposes of complying

with S4.1.3.3.2, a passenger car may becounted if it:


(2) Complies with S4.1.2.1, and(3) Is not counted toward compliance

with S4.1.3.1.2 or S4.1.3.2.2.S4.1.3.5 Passenger cars produced by

more than one manufacturer.S4.1.3.5.1 For the purposes of cal-

culating average annual production ofpassenger cars for each manufacturerand the amount of passenger cars man-ufactured by each manufacturer underS4.1.3.1.2, S4.1.3.2.2 or S4.1.3.3.2, a pas-senger car produced by more than onemanufacturer shall be attributed to asingle manufacturer as follows, subjectto S4.1.3.5.2:

(a) A passenger car which is importedshall be attributed to the importer.

(b) A passenger car manufactured inthe United States by more than onemanufacturer, one of which also mar-kets the vehicle, shall be attributed tothe manufacturer which markets thevehicle.

S4.1.3.5.2 A passenger car producedby more than one manufacturer shallbe attributed to any one of the vehi-cle’s manufacturers specified by an ex-press written contract, reported to theNational Highway Traffic Safety Ad-ministration under 49 CFR part 585, be-

tween the manufacturer so specifiedand the manufacturer to which the ve-hicle would otherwise be attributedunder S4.1.3.5.1.

S4.1.4 Passenger cars manufacturedon or after September 1, 1989, but be-fore September 1, 1996.

S4.1.4.1 Except as provided inS4.1.4.2, each passenger car manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1989shall comply with the requirements ofS4.1.2.1. Any passenger car manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1989 andbefore September 1, 1993 whose driver’sdesignated seating position complieswith the requirements of S4.1.2.1(a) bymeans not including any type of seatbelt and whose right front designatedseating position is equipped with amanual Type 2 seat belt so that theseating position complies with the oc-cupant crash protection requirementsof S5.1, with the Type 2 seat belt as-sembly adjusted in accordance withS7.4.2, shall be counted as a vehiclecomplying with S4.1.2.1. A vehicle shallnot be deemed to be in noncompliancewith this standard if its manufacturerestablishes that it did not know in theexercise of due care that such vehicle isnot in conformity with this standard.

S4.1.4.2 (a) Each passenger car,other than a convertible, manufacturedbefore December 11, 1989 may beequipped with, and each passenger car,other than a convertible, manufacturedon or after December 11, 1989 and beforeSeptember 1, 1990 shall be equippedwith a Type 2 seat belt assembly atevery forward-facing rear outboard des-ignated seating position. Type 2 seatbelt assemblies installed pursuant tothis provision shall comply with Stand-ard No. 209 (49 CFR 571.209) and withS7.1.1 of this standard.

(b) Except as provided in S4.1.4.2.1and S4.1.4.2.2, each passenger car, otherthan a convertible, manufactured on orafter September 1, 1990 and each con-vertible passenger car manufactured onor after September 1, 1991 shall beequipped with an integral Type 2 seatbelt assembly at every forward-facingrear outboard designated seating posi-tion. Type 2 seat belt assemblies in-stalled in compliance with this require-ment shall comply with Standard No.209 (49 CFR 571.209) and with S7.1 anS7.2 of this standard. If a Type 2 seat


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belt assembly installed in compliancewith this requirement incorporates anywebbing tension-relieving device, thevehicle owner’s manual shall includethe information specified in S7.4.2(b) ofthis standard for the tension relievingdevice, and the vehicle shall complywith S7.4.2(c) of this standard.

(c) As used in this section, ‘‘rear out-board designated seating position’’means any ‘‘outboard designated seat-ing position’’ (as that term is definedat 49 CFR 571.3) that is rearward of thefront seat(s), except any designatedseating position adjacent to a walkwaythat is located between the seat andthe near side of the vehicle and is de-signed to allow access to more rear-ward seating positions.

S4.1.4.2.1 Any rear outboard des-ignated seating position with a seatthat can be adjusted to be forward-fac-ing and to face some other directionshall either:

(i) Meet the requirements of S4.1.4.2with the seat in any position in whichit can be occupied while the vehicle isin motion; or

(ii) When the seat is in its forward-facing position, have a Type 2 seat beltassembly with an upper torso restraintthat conforms to S7.1 and S7.2 of thisstandard and that adjusts by means ofan emergency locking retractor thatconforms with Standard No. 209 (49CFR 571.209), which upper torso re-straint may be detachable at the buck-le, and, when the seat is in any posi-tion in which it can be occupied whilethe vehicle is in motion, have a Type 1seat belt or the pelvic portion of aType 2 seat belt assembly that con-forms to S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard.

S4.1.4.2.2 Any rear outboard des-ignated seating position on a readilyremovable seat (that is, a seat designedto be easily removed and replaced bymeans installed by the manufacturerfor that purpose) in a vehicle manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1992shall meet the requirements of S4.1.4.2and may use an upper torso belt thatdetaches at either its upper or loweranchorage points, but not both anchor-age points, to meet those require-ments. The means for detaching theupper torso belt may use a pushbuttonaction.

S4.1.5 Passenger cars manufactured onor after September 1, 1996.

S4.1.5.1 Frontal/angular automaticprotection system.

(a) Each passenger car manufacturedon or after September 1, 1996 shall:

(1) At each front outboard designatedseating position meet the frontal crashprotection requirements of S5.1 bymeans that require no action by vehi-cle occupants;

(2) At any front designated seatingpositions that are not ‘‘outboard des-ignated seating positions,’’ as thatterm is defined at 49 CFR 571.3, and atany rear designated seating positionsthat are not ‘‘rear outboard designatedseating positions,’’ as that term is de-fined at S4.1.4.2(c) of this standard,have a Type 1 or Type 2 seat belt as-sembly that conforms to Standard No.209 and S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard;and

(3) At each front designated seatingposition that is an ‘‘outboard des-ignated seating position,’’ as that termis defined at 49 CFR 571.3, and at eachforward-facing rear designated seatingposition that is a ‘‘rear outboard des-ignated seating positions,’’ as thatterm is defined at S4.1.4.2(c) of thisstandard, have a Type 2 seat belt as-sembly that conforms to Standard No.209 and S7.1 through S7.3 of this stand-ard, and, in the case of the Type 2 seatbelt assemblies installed at the frontoutboard designated seating positions,meet the frontal crash protection re-quirements with the appropriateanthropomorphic test dummy re-strained by the Type 2 seat belt assem-bly in addition to the means that re-quires no action by the vehicle occu-pant.

(b) For the purposes of sections S4.1.5through S4.1.5.3 and S4.2.6 throughS4.2.6.2 of this standard, an inflatablerestraint system means an air bag that isactivated in a crash.

S4.1.5.2 Passenger cars manufacturedon or after September 1, 1996 and beforeSeptember 1, 1997.

S4.1.5.2.1 The amount of passengercars complying with the requirementof S4.1.5.1(a)(1) by means of an inflat-able restraint system at the driver’sand right front passenger’s positionshall be not less than 95 percent of the


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

manufacturer’s total production of pas-senger cars manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1996, and before Septem-ber 1, 1997. A vehicle shall not bedeemed to be in noncompliance withthis standard if its manufacturer estab-lishes that it did not have reason toknow in the exercise of due care thatsuch vehicle is not in conformity withthe requirement of this standard.

S4.1.5.2.2 Passenger cars produced bymore than one manufacturer.

S4.1.5.2.2.1 For the purpose of cal-culating the production of passengercars by each manufacturer during theperiod specified in S4.1.5.2, a passengercar produced by more than one manu-facturer shall be attributed to a singlemanufacturer as follows, subject toS4.1.5.2.2.2:

(a) A passenger car that is importedinto the United States shall be attrib-uted to the importer.

(b) A passenger car manufacturedwithin the United States by more thanone manufacturer, one of which alsomarkets the vehicle, shall be attrib-uted to the manufacturer that marketsthe vehicle.

S4.1.5.2.2.2 A passenger car producedby more than one manufacturer shallbe attributed to any one of the vehi-cle’s manufacturers, as specified in anexpress written contract, reported tothe National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration pursuant to part 585 ofthis chapter, between the manufac-turer so specified and the manufacturerto which the vehicle otherwise wouldbe attributed, pursuant to S4.1.5.2.2.1.

S4.1.5.3 Passenger cars manufacturedon or after September 1, 1997. Each pas-senger car manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1997 shall comply withthe requirement of S4.1.5.1(a)(1) bymeans of an inflatable restraint systemat the driver’s and right front pas-senger’s position. A vehicle shall not bedeemed to be in noncompliance withthis standard if its manufacturer estab-lishes that it did not have reason toknow in the exercise of due care thatsuch vehicle is not in conformity withthe requirement of this standard.

S4.2 Trucks and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000pounds or less. As used in this section,vehicles manufactured for operation bypersons with disabilities means vehicles

that incorporate a level change device(e.g., a wheelchair lift or a ramp) foronloading or offloading an occupant ina wheelchair, an interior element of de-sign intended to provide the verticalclearance necessary to permit a personin a wheelchair to move between thelift or ramp and the driver’s position orto occupy that position, and either anadaptive control or special driver seat-ing accommodation to enable personswho have limited use of their arms orlegs to operate a vehicle. For purposesof this definition, special driver seatingaccommodations include a driver’s seateasily removable with means installedfor that purpose or with simple tools,or a driver’s seat with extended adjust-ment capability to allow a person toeasily transfer from a wheelchair tothe driver’s seat.

S4.2.1 Trucks and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000pounds or less, manufactured on or afterJanuary 1, 1976 and before September 1,1991. Each truck and multipurpose pas-senger vehicle, with a gross vehicleweight rating of 10,000 pounds or less,manufactured before September 1, 1991,shall meet the requirements of S4.1.2.1,or at the option of the manufacturer,S4.1.2.2 or S4.1.2.3 (as specified for pas-senger cars), except that forward con-trol vehicles manufactured prior toSeptember 1, 1981, convertibles, open-body type vehicles, walk-in van-typetrucks, motor homes, vehicles designedto be exclusively sold to the U.S. Post-al Service, and vehicles carrying chas-sis-mount campers may instead meetthe requirements of S4.2.1.1 or S4.2.1.2.

S4.2.1.1 First option—complete auto-matic protection system. The vehicleshall meet the crash protection re-quirements of S5 by means that requireno action by vehicle occupants.

S4.2.1.2 Second option—belt system.The vehicle shall have seat belt assem-blies that conform to Standard 209 (49CFR 571.209) installed as follows:

(a) A Type 1 or Type 2 seat belt as-sembly shall be installed for each des-ignated seating position inconvertibles, open-body type vehicles,and walk-in van-type trucks.

(b) In vehicles manufactured for op-eration by persons with disabilities, aType 2 or Type 2A seat belt assembly


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shall be installed for the driver’s seat-ing position, a Type 2 seat belt assem-bly shall be installed for each otheroutboard designated seating positionthat includes the windshield headerwithin the head impact area, and aType 1 or Type 2 seat belt assemblyshall be installed for each other des-ignated seating position.

(c) In all vehicles except those forwhich requirements are specified inS4.2.1.2 (a) or (b), a Type 2 seat belt as-sembly shall be installed for each out-board designated seating position thatincludes the windshield header withinthe head impact area, and a Type 1 orType 2 seat belt assembly shall be in-stalled for each other designated seat-ing position.

S4.2.2 Trucks and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less, manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1991 andbefore September 1, 1997. Except as pro-vided in S4.2.4, each truck and multi-purpose passenger vehicle, with a grossvehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds orless and an unloaded vehicle weight of5,500 pounds or less, manufactured onor after September 1, 1991 and beforeSeptember 1, 1997, shall meet the re-quirements of S4.1.2.1, or at the optionof the manufacturer, S4.1.2.2 or S4.1.2.3(as specified for passenger cars), exceptthat convertibles, open-body type vehi-cles, walk-in van-type trucks, motorhomes, vehicles designed to be exclu-sively sold to the U.S. Postal Service,vehicles carrying chassis-mount camp-ers, and vehicles manufactured for op-eration by persons with disabilitiesmay instead meet the requirements ofS4.2.1.1 or S4.2.1.2. Each Type 2 seatbelt assembly installed in a front out-board designated seating position inaccordance with S4.1.2.3 shall meet therequirements of S4.6.

S4.2.3 Trucks and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1991 with either a GVWR ormore than 8,500 pounds but not greaterthan 10,000 pounds or with an unloadedvehicle weight greater than 5,500 poundsand a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less. Ex-cept as provided in S4.2.4, each truckand multipurpose passenger vehiclemanufactured on or after September 1,1991, that has either a gross vehicle

weight rating which is greater than8,500 pounds, but not greater than10,000 pounds, or has an unloaded vehi-cle weight greater than 5,500 poundsand a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less,shall meet the requirements of S4.1.2.1,or at the option of the manufacturer,S4.1.2.2 or S4.1.2.3 (as specified for pas-senger cars), except that convertibles,open-body type vehicles, walk-in van-type trucks, motor homes, vehicles de-signed to be exclusively sold to theU.S. Postal Service, and vehicles carry-ing chassis-mount campers may in-stead meet the requirements of S4.2.1.1or S4.2.1.2.

S4.2.4 Rear outboard seating positionsin trucks and multipurpose passenger ve-hicles manufactured on or after September1, 1991 with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds orless. Except as provided in S4.2.4.2 andS4.2.4.3, each truck and each multipur-pose passenger vehicle, other than amotor home, manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1991 that has a gross vehi-cle weight rating of 10,000 pounds orless shall be equipped with an integralType 2 seat belt assembly at every for-ward-facing rear outboard designatedseating position. Type 2 seat belt as-semblies installed in compliance withthis requirement shall comply withStandard No. 209 (49 CFR 571.209) andwith S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard. If aType 2 seat belt assembly installed incompliance with this requirement in-corporates any webbing tension-reliev-ing device, the vehicle owner’s manualshall include the information specifiedin S7.4.2(b) of this standard for the ten-sion relieving device, and the vehicleshall comply with S7.4.2(c) of thisstandard.

S4.2.4.1 As used in this section—(a) Motor home means a motor vehicle

with motive power that is designed toprovide temporary residential accom-modations, as evidenced by the pres-ence of at least four of the following fa-cilities: cooking; refrigeration or icebox; self-contained toilet; heating and/or air conditioning; a potable watersupply system including a faucet and asink; and a separate 110–125 volt elec-trical power supply and/or an LP gassupply.

(b) Rear outboard designated seatingposition means any ‘‘outboard des-ignated seating position’’ (as that term


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

is defined at 49 CFR 571.3) that is rear-ward of the front seat(s), except anydesignated seating positions adjacentto a walkway located between the seatand the side of the vehicle, which walk-way is designed to allow access to morerearward seating positions.

S4.2.4.2 Any rear outboard des-ignated seating position with a seatthat can be adjusted to be forward-fac-ing and to face some other directionshall either:

(i) Meet the requirements of S4.2.4with the seat in any position in whichit can be occupied while the vehicle isin motion; or

(ii) When the seat is in its forward-facing position, have a Type 2 seat beltassembly with an upper torso restraintthat conforms to S7.1 and S7.2 of thisstandard and that adjusts by means ofan emergency locking retractor thatconforms with Standard No. 209 (49CFR 571.209), which upper torso re-straint may be detachable at the buck-le, and, when the seat is in any posi-tion in which it can be occupied whilethe vehicle is in motion, have a Type 1seat belt or the pelvic portion of aType 2 seat belt assembly that con-forms to S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard.

S4.2.4.3 Any rear outboard designatedseating position on a readily removableseat (that is, a seat designed to be eas-ily removed and replaced by means in-stalled by the manufacturer for thatpurpose) in a vehicle manufactured onor after September 1, 1992 shall meetthe requirements of S4.2.4 and may usean upper torso belt that detaches at ei-ther its upper or lower anchoragepoint, but not both anchorage points,to meet those requirements. The meansfor detaching the upper torso belt mayuse a pushbutton action.

S4.2.5 Trucks, buses, and multipurposepassenger vehicles with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1994, andbefore September 1, 1997.

S4.2.5.1 Trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less manu-factured on or after September 1, 1994,and before September 1, 1995.

S4.2.5.1.1 Subject to S4.2.5.1.2 andS4.2.5.5 and except as provided in S4.2.4,

each truck, bus and multipurpose pas-senger vehicle, other than walk-in van-type trucks, vehicles designed to be ex-clusively sold to the U.S. Postal Serv-ice, and vehicles manufactured for op-eration by persons with disabilities,with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds or lessand an unloaded vehicle weight of 5,500pounds or less that is manufactured onor after September 1, 1994 and beforeSeptember 1, 1995, shall comply withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1, S4.1.2.2, orS4.1.2.3 (as specified for passengercars). A vehicle shall not be deemed tobe in noncompliance with this standardif its manufacturer establishes that itdid not have reason to know in the ex-ercise of due care that such vehicle isnot in conformity with the require-ment of standard.

S4.2.5.1.2 Subject to S4.2.5.5, theamount of trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles specified inS4.2.5.1.1 complying with S4.1.2.1 (asspecified for passenger cars) shall benot less than 20 percent of:

(a) The average annual production oftrucks, buses, and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1991, andbefore September 1, 1994, by each man-ufacturer that produced such vehiclesduring each of those annual productionperiods, or

(b) The manufacturer’s total produc-tion of trucks, buses, and multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less duringthe period specified in S4.2.5.1.1.

S4.2.5.2 Trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less manu-factured on or after September 1, 1995 andbefore September 1, 1996.

S4.2.5.2.1 Subject to S4.2.5.2.2 andS4.2.5.5 and except as provided in S4.2.4,each truck, bus, and multipurpose pas-senger vehicle, other than walk-in van-type trucks, vehicles designed to be ex-clusively sold to the U.S. Postal Serv-ice, and vehicles manufactured for op-eration by persons with disabilities,with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds or lessand an unloaded vehicle weight of 5,500pounds or less that is manufactured on


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or after September 1, 1995 and beforeSeptember 1, 1996, shall comply withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1, S4.1.2.2, orS4.1.2.3 (as specified for passengercars). A vehicle shall not be deemed tobe in noncompliance with this standardif its manufacturer establishes that itdid not have reason to know in the ex-ercise of due care that such vehicle isnot in conformity with the require-ment of this standard.



(b) The manufacturer’s total produc-tion of trucks, buses, and multipurposepassenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less dur-ing the period specified in S4.2.5.2.1.

S4.2.5.3 Trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less manu-factured on or after September 1, 1996 andbefore September 1, 1997.

S4.2.5.3.1 Subject to S4.2.5.3.2 andS4.2.5.5 and except as provided in S4.2.4,each truck, bus, and multipurpose pas-senger vehicle, other than walk-in van-type trucks, vehicles designed to be ex-clusively sold to the U.S. Postal Serv-ice, and vehicles manufactured for op-eration by persons with disabilities,with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds or lessand an unloaded vehicle weight of 5,500pounds or less that is manufactured onor after September 1, 1996 and beforeSeptember 1, 1997, shall comply withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1, S4.1.2.2, orS4.1.2.3 (as specified for passengercars). A vehicle shall not be deemed tobe in noncompliance with this standardif its manufacturer establishes that itdid not have reason to know in the ex-ercise of due care that such vehicle is

not in conformity with the require-ment of this standard.



(b) The manufacturer’s total produc-tion of trucks, buses, and multipurposepassenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less dur-ing the period specified in S4.2.5.3.1.

S4.2.5.4 Alternative phase-in schedule.A manufacturer may, at its option,comply with the requirements of thissection instead of complying with therequirements set forth in S4.2.5.1,S4.2.5.2, and S4.2.5.3.

(a) Except as provided in S4.2.4, eachtruck, bus, and multipurpose passengervehicle, other than walk-in van-typetrucks, vehicles designed to be exclu-sively sold to the U.S. Postal Service,and vehicles manufactured for oper-ation by persons with disabilities, witha GVWR of 8,500 pounds or less and anunloaded vehicle weight of 5,500 poundsor less that is manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1994 and before September1, 1995 shall comply with the require-ments of S4.1.2.1, S4.1.2.2, or S4.1.2.3 (asspecified for passenger cars).

(b) Except as provided in S4.2.4, eachtruck, bus, and multipurpose passengervehicle, other than walk-in van-tapetrucks, vehicles designed to be exclu-sively sold to the U.S. Postal Service,and vehicles manufactured for oper-ation by persons with disabilities, witha GVWR of 8,500 pounds or less and anunloaded vehicle weight of 5,500 poundsor less that is manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1995 shall comply withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1 (as speci-fied for passenger cars) of this stand-ard. A vehicle shall not be deemed tobe in noncompliance with this standard


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

if its manufacturer establishes that itdid not have reason to know in the ex-ercise of due care that such vehicle isnot in conformity with the require-ment of this standard.

(c) Each truck, bus, and multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1995, butbefore September 1, 1998, whose driver’sseating position complies with the re-quirements of S4.1.2.1(a) of this stand-ard by means not including any type ofseat belt and whose right front pas-senger’s seating position is equippedwith a manual Type 2 seat belt thatcomplies with S5.1 of this standard,with the seat belt assembly adjusted inaccordance with S7.4.2, shall be count-ed as a vehicle complying with S4.1.2.1.

S4.2.5.5 Calculation of complyingtrucks, buses, and multipurpose passengervehicles with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds orless and an unloaded vehicle weight of5,500 pounds or less.

(a) For the purposes of the calcula-tions required in S4.2.5.1.2, S4.2.5.2.2,and S4.2.5.3.2 of the number of trucks,buses, and multipurpose passenger ve-hicles with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds orless and an unloaded vehicle weight of5,500 pounds or less that comply withS4.1.2.1 (as specified for passengercars):

(1) Each truck, bus, and multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less whosedriver’s seating position complies withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1(a) bymeans not including any type of seatbelt and whose front right seating posi-tion complies with the requirements ofS4.1.2.1(a) by any means is counted as1.5 vehicles, and

(2) Each truck, bus, and multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less whosedriver’s seating position complies withthe requirements of S4.1.2.1(a) bymeans not including any type of seatbelt and whose right front passenger’sseating position is equipped with amanual Type 2 seat belt that complieswith S5.1 of this standard, with theseat belt assembly adjusted in accord-

ance with S7.4.2, is counted as one ve-hicle.

(3) Each truck, bus, and multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less that ismanufactured in two or more stages orthat is altered (within the meaning of§ 567.7 of this chapter) after having pre-viously been certified in accordancewith part 567 of this chapter is not sub-ject to the requirements of S4.2.5.1.2,S4.2.5.2.2, and S4.2.5.3.2. Such vehiclesmay be excluded from all calculationsof compliance with S4.2.5.1.2, S4.2.5.2.2,and S4.2.5.3.2.

(b) For the purposes of complyingwith S4.2.5.1.2, a truck, bus, or multi-purpose passenger vehicle with aGVWR of 8,500 pounds or less and anunloaded vehicle weight of 5,500 poundsor less may be counted if it:

(1) Is manufactured on or after Sep-tember 1, 1992, but before September 1,1994, and

(2) Is certified as complying withS4.1.2.1 (as specified for passengercars).

(c) For the purposes of complyingwith S4.2.5.2.2, a truck, bus, or multi-purpose passenger vehicle with aGVWR of 8,500 pounds or less and anunloaded vehicle weight of 5,500 poundsor less may be counted if it:


(2) Is certified as complying withS4.1.2.1 (as specified for passengercars), and

(3) Is not counted toward compliancewith S4.2.5.1.2.

(d) For the purposes of complyingwith S4.2.5.3.2, a truck, bus, or multi-purpose passenger vehicle with aGVWR of 8,500 pounds or less and anunloaded vehicle weight of 5,500 poundsor less may be counted if it:


(2) Is certified as complying withS4.1.2.1 (as specified for passengercars), and

(3) Is not counted toward compliancewith S4.2.5.1.2 or S4.2.5.2.2.

S4.2.5.6 Trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of


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8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less pro-duced by more than one manufacturer.

S4.2.5.6.1 For the purposes of cal-culating average annual production foreach manufacturer and the amount ofvehicles manufactured by each manu-facturer under S4.2.5.1.2, S4.2.5.2.2, orS4.2.5.3.2, a truck, bus, or multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less producedby more than one manufacturer shallbe attributed to a single manufactureras follows, subject to S4.2.5.6.2:

(a) A vehicle that is imported shallbe attributed to the importer.

(b) A vehicle that is manufactured inthe United States by more than onemanufacturer, one of which also mar-kets the vehicle, shall be attributed tothe manufacturer that markets the ve-hicle.

S4.2.5.6.2 A truck, bus, or multipur-pose passenger vehicle with, GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less pro-duced by more than one manufacturershall be attributed to any one of thevehicle’s manufacturers specified in anexpress written contract, reported tothe National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration under 49 CFR part 585,between the manufacturer so specifiedand the manufacturer to which the ve-hicle would otherwise be attributedunder S4.2.5.6.1 of this standard.

S4.2.6 Trucks, buses, and multipurposepassenger vehicles with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1997. Eachtruck, bus, and multipurpose passengervehicle with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds orless and an unloaded vehicle weight of5,500 pounds or less, which is manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1997,shall comply with the requirements ofS4.1.5.1 of this standard (as specifiedfor passenger cars), except that walk-invan-type trucks and vehicles designedto be sold exclusively to the U.S. Post-al Service may meet the requirementsof S4.2.1.1 or S4.2.1.2 of this standardinstead of the requirements of S4.1.5.1.

S4.2.6.1 Trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less manu-

factured on or after September 1, 1997 andbefore September 1, 1998.

S4.2.6.1.1 The amount of trucks,buses, and multipurpose passenger ve-hicles complying with the require-ments of S4.1.5.1(a)(1) of this standardby means of an inflatable restraint sys-tem shall be not less than 80 percent ofthe manufacturer’s total combined pro-duction of subject vehicles manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1997 andbefore September 1, 1998. Each truck,bus, or multipurpose passenger vehiclewith a GVWR of 8,500 pounds or lessand an unloaded vehicle weight of 5,500pounds or less manufactured on orafter September 1, 1997 and before Sep-tember 1, 1998, whose driver’s seatingposition complies with S4.1.5.1(a)(1) bymeans of an inflatable restraint systemand whose right front passenger’s seat-ing position is equipped with a manualType 2 seat belt assembly that com-plies with S5.1 of this standard, withthe seat belt assembly adjusted in ac-cordance with S7.4.2 of this standard,shall be counted as a vehicle complyingwith S4.1.5.1(a)(1) by means of an in-flatable restraint system. A vehicleshall not be deemed to be in non-compliance with this standard if itsmanufacturer establishes that it didnot have reason to know in the exer-cise of due care that such vehicle is notin conformity with the requirement ofthis standard.

S4.2.6.1.2 Trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less pro-duced by more than one manufacturer.

S4.2.6.1.2.1 For the purpose of cal-culating the production by each manu-facturer during the period specified inS4.2.6.1.1, a truck, bus, or multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less producedby more than one manufacturer shallbe attributed to a single manufactureras follows, subject to S4.2.6.1.2.2:

(a) A vehicle that is imported intothe United States shall be attributedto the importer.

(b) A vehicle manufactured withinthe United States by more than onemanufacturer, one of which also mar-kets the vehicle, shall be attributed to


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

the manufacturer that markets the ve-hicle.

S4.2.6.1.2.2 A truck, bus, or multi-purpose passenger vehicle produced bymore than one manufacturer shall beattributed to any one of the vehicle’smanufacturers, as specified in an ex-press written contract, reported to theNational Highway Traffic Safety Ad-ministration pursuant to part 585 ofthis chapter, between the manufac-turer so specified and the manufacturerto which the vehicle otherwise wouldbe attributed, pursuant to S4.2.6.1.2.1.

S4.2.6.2 Trucks, buses, and multipur-pose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of8,500 pounds or less and an unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds or less manu-factured on or after September 1, 1998.Each truck, bus, or multipurpose vehi-cle with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds or lessand an unloaded vehicle weight of 5,500pounds or less manufactured on orafter September 1, 1998 shall complywith the requirement of S4.1.5.1(a)(1)by means of an inflatable restraint sys-tem at the driver’s and right front pas-senger’s position. A vehicle shall not bedeemed to be in noncompliance withthis standard if its manufacturer estab-lishes that it did not have reason toknow in the exercise of due care thatsuch vehicle is not in conformity withthe requirement of this standard.

S4.3 Trucks and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles, with GVWR of more than10,000 pounds.

S4.3.1 Trucks and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles with a GVWR of morethan 10,000 pounds, manufactured in orafter January 1, 1972 and before Septem-ber 1, 1990. Each truck and multipur-pose passenger vehicle with a gross ve-hicle weight rating of more than 10,000pounds, manufactured on or after Jan-uary 1, 1972 and before September 1,1990, shall meet the requirements ofS4.3.1.1 or S4.3.1.2. A protection systemthat meets the requirements of S4.3.1.1may be installed at one or more des-ignated seating positions of a vehiclethat otherwise meets the requirementsof S4.3.1.2.

S4.3.1.1 First option—complete pas-senger protection system. The vehicleshall meet the crash protection re-quirements of S5 by means that requireno action by vehicle occupants.

S4.3.1.2 Second option—belt system.The vehicle shall, at each designatedseating position, have either a Type 1or a Type 2 seat belt assembly thatconforms to S571.209.

S4.3.2 Trucks and multipurpose pas-senger vehicles with a GVWR of morethan 10,000 pounds, manufactured on orafter September 1, 1990. Each truck andmultipurpose passenger vehicle with agross vehicle weight rating of morethan 10,000 pounds, manufactured on orafter September 1, 1990, shall meet therequirements of S4.3.2.1 or S4.3.2.2. Aprotection system that meets the re-quirements of S4.3.2.1 may be installedat one or more designated seating posi-tions of a vehicle that otherwise meetsthe requirements of S4.3.2.2.

S4.3.2.1 First option—complete pas-senger protection system. The vehicleshall meet the crash protection re-quirements of S5 by means that requireno action by vehicle occupants.

S4.3.2.2 Second option—belt system.The vehicle shall, at each designatedseating position, have either a Type 1or a Type 2 seat belt assembly thatconforms to § 571.209 of this part andS7.2 of this Standard. A Type 1 belt as-sembly or the pelvic portion of a dualretractor Type 2 belt assembly in-stalled at a front outboard seating po-sition shall include either an emer-gency locking retractor or an auto-matic locking retractor. If a seat beltassembly installed at a front outboardseating position includes an automaticlocking retractor for the lap belt or thelap belt portion, that seat belt assem-bly shall comply with the following:

(a) An automatic locking retractorused at a front outboard seating posi-tion that has some type of suspensionsystem for the seat shall be attached tothe seat structure that moves as thesuspension system functions.

(b) The lap belt or lap belt portion ofa seat belt assembly equipped with anautomatic locking retractor that is in-stalled at a front outboard seating po-sition must allow at least 3⁄4 inch, butless than 3 inches, of webbing move-ment before retracting webbing to thenext locking position.

(c) Compliance with S4.3.2.2(b) of thisstandard is determined as follows:

(1) The seat belt assembly is buckledand the retractor end of the seat belt


503


assembly is anchored to a horizontalsurface. The webbing for the lap belt orlap belt portion of the seat belt assem-bly is extended to 75 percent of itslength and the retractor is locked afterthe initial adjustment.

(2) A load of 20 pounds is applied tothe free end of the lap belt or the lapbelt portion of the belt assembly (i.e.,the end that is not anchored to the hor-izontal surface) in the direction awayfrom the retractor. The position of thefree end of the belt assembly is re-corded.

(3) Within a 30 second period, the 20pound load is slowly decreased, untilthe retractor moves to the next lock-ing position. The position of the freeend of the belt assembly is recordedagain.

(4) The difference between the twopositions recorded for the free end ofthe belt assembly shall be at least 3⁄4inch but less than 3 inches.

S4.4 Buses.S4.4.1 Buses manufactured on or after

January 1, 1972 and before September 1,1990. Each bus manufactured on orafter January 1, 1972 and before Sep-tember 1, 1990, shall meet the require-ments of S4.4.1.1 or S4.4.1.2.

S4.4.1.1 First option—complete pas-senger protection system—driver only.The vehicle shall meet the crash pro-tection requirements of S5, with re-spect to an anthropomorphic testdummy in the driver’s designated seat-ing position, by means that require noaction by vehicle occupants.

S4.4.1.2 Second option—belt system—driver only. The vehicle shall, at thedriver’s designated seating position,have either a Type 1 or a Type 2 seatbelt assembly that conforms toS571.209.

S4.4.2 Buses manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1990. Each bus manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1990,shall meet the requirements of S4.4.2.1or S4.4.2.2.

S4.4.2.1 First option—complete pas-senger protection system—driver only.The vehicle shall meet the crash pro-tection requirements of S5, with re-spect to an anthropomorphic testdummy in the driver’s designated seat-ing position, by means that require noaction by vehicle occupants.

S4.4.2.2 Second option—belt system—driver only. The vehicle shall, at thedriver’s designated seating position,have either a Type 1 or a Type 2 seatbelt assembly that conforms to § 571.209of this part and S7.2 of this Standard. AType 1 belt assembly or the pelvic por-tion of a dual retractor Type 2 belt as-sembly installed at the driver’s seatingposition shall include either an emer-gency locking retractor or an auto-matic locking retractor. If a seat beltassembly installed at the driver’s seat-ing position includes an automaticlocking retractor for the lap belt or thelap belt portion, that seat belt assem-bly shall comply with the following:

(a) An automatic locking retractorused at a driver’s seating position thathas some type of suspension system forthe seat shall be attached to the seatstructure that moves as the suspensionsystem functions.

(b) The lap belt or lap belt portion ofa seat belt assembly equipped with anautomatic locking retractor that is in-stalled at the driver’s seating positionmust allow at least 3⁄4 inch, but lessthan 3 inches, of webbing movementbefore retracting webbing to the nextlocking position.

(c) Compliance with S4.4.2.2(b) of thisstandard is determined as follows:

(1) The seat belt assembly is buckledand the retractor end of the seat beltassembly is anchored to a horizontalsurface. The webbing for the lap belt orlap belt portion of the seat belt assem-bly is extended to 75 percent of itslength and the retractor is locked afterthe initial adjustment.

(2) A load of 20 pounds is applied tothe free end of the lap belt or the lapbelt portion of the belt assembly (i.e.,the end that is not anchored to the hor-izontal surface) in the direction awayfrom the retractor. The position of thefree end of the belt assembly is re-corded.

(3) Within a 30 second period, the 20pound load is slowly decreased, untilthe retractor moves to the next lock-ing position. The position of the freeend of the belt assembly is recordedagain.

(4) The difference between the twopositions recorded for the free end ofthe belt assembly shall be at least 3⁄4inch but less than 3 inches.


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

S4.4.3 Buses manufactured on or afterSeptember 1, 1991.

S4.4.3.1 Each bus with a gross vehi-cle weight rating of more than 10,000pounds shall comply with the require-ments S4.4.2.1 or S4.4.2.2.

S4.4.3.2 Except as provided inS4.4.3.2.2 and S4.4.3.2.3, each bus with agross vehicle weight rating of 10,000pounds or less, except a school bus,shall be equipped with an integral Type2 seat belt assembly at the driver’s des-ignated seating position and at thefront and every rear forward-facingoutboard designated seating position,and with a Type 1 or Type 2 seat beltassembly at all other designated seat-ing positions. Type 2 seat beltasemblies installed in compliance withthis requirement shall comply withStandard No. 209 (49 CFR 571.209) andwith S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard. If aType 2 seat belt assembly installed incompliance with this requirement in-corporates any webbing tension-reliev-ing device, the vehicle owner’s manualshall include the information specifiedin S7.4.2(b) of this standard for the ten-sion relieving device, and the vehicleshall comply with S7.4.2(c) of thisstandard.

S4.4.3.2.1 As used in this section, a‘‘rear outboard designated position’’means any ‘‘outboard designated seat-ing position’’ (as that term is definedat 49 CFR 571.3) that is rearward of thefront seat(s), except any designatedseating positions adjacent to a walk-way located between the seat and theside of the vehicle, which walkway isdesigned to allow access to more rear-ward seating positions.

S4.4.3.2.2 Any rear outboard des-ignated seating position with a seatthat can be adjusted to be forward-fac-ing and to face some other directionshall either:

(i) Meet the requirements of S4.4.3.2with the seat in any position in whichit can be occupied while the vehicle isin motion; or

(ii) When the seat is in its forward-facing position, have a Type 2 seat beltassembly with an upper torso restraintthat conforms to S7.1 and S7.2 of thisstandard and that adjusts by means ofan emergency locking retractor thatconforms with Standard No. 209 (49CFR 571.209), which upper torso re-

straint may be detachable at the buck-le, and, when the seat is in any posi-tion in which it can be occupied whilethe vehicle is in motion, have a Type 1seat belt or the pelvic portion of aType 2 seat belt assembly that con-forms to S7.1 and S7.2 of this standard.

S4.4.3.2.3 Any rear outboard des-ignated seating position on a readilyremovable seat (that is, a seat designedto be easily removed and replaced bymeans installed by the manufacturerfor that purpose) in a vehicle manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1992shall meet the requirements of S4.4.3.2and may use an upper torso belt thatdetaches at either its upper or loweranchorage point, but not both anchor-age points, to meet those require-ments. The means for detaching theupper torso belt may use a pushbuttonaction.

S4.4.3.3 Each school bus with a grossvehicle weight rating of 10,000 poundsor less shall be equipped with an inte-gral Type 2 seat belt assembly at thedriver’s designated seating positionand at the right front passenger’s des-ignated seating position (if any), andwith a Type 1 or Type 2 seat belt as-sembly at all other designated seatingpositions. Type 2 seat belt assembliesinstalled in compliance with this re-quirement shall comply with StandardNo. 209 (49 CFR 571.209) and with S7.1and S7.2 of this standard. The lap beltportion of a Type 2 seat belt assemblyinstalled at the driver’s designatedseating position and at the right frontpassenger’s designated seating position(if any) shall include either an emer-gency locking retractor or an auto-matic locking retractor, which retrac-tor shall not retract webbing to thenext locking position until at least 3⁄4inch of webbing has moved into the re-tractor. In determining whether anautomatic locking retractor complieswith this requirement, the webbing isextended to 75 percent of its length andthe retractor is locked after the initialadjustment. If a Type 2 seat belt as-sembly installed in compliance withthis requirement incorporates any web-bing tension-relieving device, the vehi-cle owner’s manual shall include theinformation specified in S7.4.2(b) ofthis standard for the tension-relieving


505


device, and the vehicle shall complywith S7.4.2(c) of this standard.

S4.4.4 Buses with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded vehicleweight of 5,500 pounds or less manufac-tured on or after September 1, 1994. Eachbus with a GVWR of 8,500 pounds orless and an unloaded vehicle weight of5,500 pounds or less manufactured on orafter September 1, 1984 shall complywith the requirements of S4.2.5 andS4.2.6 of this standard, as applicable,for front seating positions, and withthe requirements of S4.4.3.2 or S4.4.3.3of this standard, as applicable, for allrear seating positions.

S4.5 Other general requirements.S4.5.1 Labeling and owner’s manual in-

formation. The labels specified in S4.5.1(b), (c), and (e) of this standard are notrequired for vehicles that have a smartpassenger air bag meeting the criteriaspecified in S4.5.5 of this standard.

(a) Air bag maintenance or replacementinformation. If the vehicle manufac-turer recommends periodic mainte-nance or replacement of an inflatablerestraint system, as that term is de-fined in S4.1.5.1(b) of this standard, in-stalled in a vehicle, that vehicle shallbe labeled with the recommendedschedule for maintenance or replace-ment. The schedule shall be specifiedby month and year, or in terms of vehi-cle mileage, or by intervals measuredfrom the date appearing on the vehiclecertification label provided pursuant to49 CFR part 567. The label shall be per-manently affixed to the vehicle withinthe passenger compartment and let-tered in English in block capital andnumerals not less than three thirty-seconds of an inch high. This label maybe combined with the label required byS4.5.1(b) of this standard to appear onthe sun visor. If some regular mainte-nance or replacement of the inflatablerestraint system(s) in a vehicle is rec-ommended by the vehicle manufac-turer, the owner’s manual shall alsoset forth the recommended schedule formaintenance or replacement.

(b) Sun visor warning label.(1) Vehicles manufactured before Feb-

ruary 25, 1997. Each vehicle shall com-ply with either S4.5.1(b)(1)(i) orS4.5.1(b)(1)(ii), and with S4.5.1(b)(1)(iii).At the manufacturer’s option, the vehi-cle may comply with the requirements

of S4.5.1(b)(2), instead of the require-ments of S4.5.1(b)(1).

(i) Each front outboard seating posi-tion that provides an inflatable re-straint shall have a label permanentlyaffixed to the sun visor for that seatingposition on either side of the sun visor,at the manufacturer’s option. Exceptas provided in S4.5.1(b)(1)(v), this labelshall read:

CAUTION—TO AVOID SERIOUS IN-JURY:

For maximum safety protection inall types of crashes, you must alwayswear your safety belt.

Do not install rearward-facing childseats in any front passenger seat posi-tion.

Do not sit or lean unnecessarily closeto the air bag.

Do not place any objects over the airbag or between the air bag and your-self.

See the owner’s manual for furtherinformation and explanations.

(ii) If the vehicle is equipped with acutoff device permitted by S4.5.4 of thisstandard, each front outboard seatingposition that provides an inflatable re-straint shall have a label permanentlyaffixed to the sun visor for such seatingposition on either side of the sun visor,at the manufacturer’s option. Exceptas provided in S4.5.1(b)(1)(v), this labelshall read:

CAUTION—TO AVOID SERIOUS IN-JURY:

For maximum safety protection inall types of crashes, you must alwayswear your safety belt.

Do not install rearward-facing childseats in any front passenger seat posi-tion, unless the air bag is off.

Do not sit or lean unnecessarily closeto the air bag.

Do not place any objects over the airbag or between the air bag and your-self.

See the owner’s manual for furtherinformation and explanations.

(iii) The coloring of the label shallcontrast with the background of thelabel.

(iv) If the vehicle does not have aninflatable restraint at any front seat-ing position other than that for thedriver, the statement ‘‘Do not installrearward-facing child seats in any


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

front passenger seat position’’ may beomitted from the label.

(v) At the manufacturer’s option, theword ‘‘warning’’ may replace the word‘‘caution’’ in the labels specified inS4.5.1(b)(1)(i) and S4.5.1(b)(1)(ii).

(2) Vehicles manufactured on or afterFebruary 25, 1997. Each vehicle shallhave a label permanently affixed to ei-ther side of the sun visor, at the manu-facturer’s option, at each front out-board seating position that is equippedwith an inflatable restraint. The labelshall conform in content to the labelshown in either Figure 6a or 6b of thisstandard, as appropriate, and shallcomply with the requirements ofS4.5.1(b)(2)(i) through S4.5.1(b)(2)(v).

(i) The heading area shall be yellowwith the word ‘‘warning’’ and the alertsymbol in black.

(ii) The message area shall be whitewith black text. The message areashall be no less than 30 square cm.

(iii) The pictogram shall be blackwith a red circle and slash on a whitebackground. The pictogram shall be noless than 30 mm in diameter.

(iv) If the vehicle does not have aninflatable restraint at any front seat-ing position other than that for thedriver, the label shown in Figure 6amay be modified by omitting the picto-gram and changing the message text toread:

DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY canoccur.

• Sit as far back as possible from theair bag.

• ALWAYS use SEAT BELTS andCHILD RESTRAINTS.

• The BACK SEAT is the SAFESTplace for children.

(v) If the vehicle does not have aback seat, the label shown in Figure 6aor 6b may be modified by omitting thestatement: ‘‘The BACK SEAT is theSAFEST place for children.’’

(3) Except for the information on anair bag maintenance label placed onthe visor pursuant to S4.5.1(a) of thisstandard, no other information shallappear on the same side of the sunvisor to which the sun visor warninglabel is affixed. Except for the informa-tion in an air bag alert label placed onthe visor pursuant to S4.5.1(c) of thisstandard, or in a utility vehicle labelthat contains the language required by

49 CFR 575.105(c)(1), no other informa-tion about air bags or the need to wearseat belts shall appear anywhere on thesun visor.

(c) Air bag alert label—(1) Vehiclesmanufactured before February 25, 1997.If the label required by S4.5.1(b)(1) for asun visor (other than the sun visor forthe driver seating position) is not visi-ble when the sun visor is in the stowedposition, an air bag alert label shall bepermanently affixed either to thatvisor so that the label is visible whenthe visor is in that position or to thecover of the air bag for that seating po-sition, at the option of the manufac-turer. An air bag alert label affixed toan air bag cover pursuant to this para-graph shall read ‘‘Air Bag. See SunVisor.’’ An air bag alert label affixed toa sun visor pursuant to this paragraphshall read ‘‘Air Bag. See Other Side.’’The color of the label shall contrastwith the background of the label. If amanufacturer chooses to comply withthe requirements of S4.5.1(b)(2) ratherthan the requirements of S4.5.1(b)(1),the air bag alert label shall complywith the requirements of S4.5.1(c)(2).

(2) Vehicles manufactured on or afterFebruary 25, 1997. If the label requiredby S4.5.1(b)(2) is not visible when thesun visor is in the stowed position, anair bag alert label shall be perma-nently affixed to that visor so that thelabel is visible when the visor is in thatposition. The label shall conform incontent to the sun visor label shown infigure 6c of this standard, and shallcomply with the requirements ofS4.5.1(c)(2)(i) through S4.5.1(c)(2)(iii).

(i) The message area shall be blackwith yellow text. The message areashall be no less than 20 square cm.

(ii) The pictogram shall be blackwith a red circle and slash on a whitebackground. The pictogram shall be noless than 20 mm in diameter.

(iii) If the vehicle does not have aninflatable restraint at any front seat-ing position other than that for thedriver, the pictogram may be omittedfrom the label shown in Figure 6c.

(d) At the option of the manufac-turer, the requirements in S4.5.1(b) andS4.5.1(c) for labels that are perma-nently affixed to specified parts of the


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vehicle may instead be met by perma-nent marking or molding of the re-quired information.

(e) Label on the dash. Each vehiclemanufactured on or after February 25,1997 that is equipped with an inflatablerestraint for the passenger positionshall have a label attached to a loca-tion on the dashboard or the steeringwheel hub that is clearly visible fromall front seating positions. The labelneed not be permanently affixed to thevehicle. This label shall conform incontent to the label shown in Figure 7of this standard, and shall comply withthe requirements of S4.5.1(e)(2)(i)through S4.5.1(e)(2)(iv).

(i) The heading area shall be yellowwith the word ‘‘warning’’ and the alertsymbol in black.

(ii) The message area shall be whitewith black text. The message areashall be no less than 30 square cm.

(iii) If the vehicle does not have aback seat, the label shown in Figure 7may be modified by omitting the state-ment: ‘‘The back seat is the safestplace for children 12 and under.’’

(iv) For vehicles manufactured beforeSeptember 1, 1997, the label shown inFigure 7 may be modified by replacingthe word ‘‘can’’ with the word ‘‘may’’in the statement: ‘‘Children can bekilled or injured by passenger air bag.’’

(f) Information to appear in owner’smanual. The owner’s manual for anyvehicle equipped with an inflatable re-straint system shall include a descrip-tion of the vehicle’s air bag system inan easily understandable format. Theowner’s manual shall include a state-ment to the effect that the vehicle isequipped with an air bag and a lap/shoulder belt at one or both front out-board seating positions, and that theair bag is a supplemental restraint atthose seating positions. The informa-tion shall emphasize that all occu-pants, including the driver, should al-ways wear their seat belts whether ornot an air bag is also provided at theirseating position to minimize the riskof severe injury or death in the eventof a crash. The owner’s manual shallalso provide any necessary precautionsregarding the proper positioning of oc-cupants, including children, at seatingpositions equipped with air bags to en-sure maximum safety protection for

those occupants. The owner’s manualshall also explain that no objectsshould be placed over or near the airbag on the steering wheel or on the in-strument panel, because any such ob-jects could cause harm if the vehicle isin a crash severe enough to cause theair bag to inflate.

S4.5.2 Readiness indicator. An occu-pant protection system that deploys inthe event of a crash shall have a mon-itoring system with a readiness indica-tor. The indicator shall monitor itsown readiness and shall be clearly visi-ble from the driver’s designated seatingposition. If the vehicle is equipped witha single readiness indicator for both adriver and passenger air bag, and if thevehicle is equipped with an on-offswitch permitted by S4.5.4 of thisstandard, the readiness indicator shallmonitor the readiness of the driver airbag when the passenger air bag hasbeen deactivated by means of the on-off switch, and shall not illuminatesolely because the passenger air baghas been deactivated by the manual on-off switch. A list of the elements of thesystem being monitored by the indica-tor shall be included with the informa-tion furnished in accordance withS4.5.1 but need not be included on thelabel.

S4.5.3 Automatic belts. Except as pro-vided in S4.5.3.1, a seat belt assemblythat requires no action by vehicle oc-cupants (hereinafter referred to as an‘‘automatic belt’’) may be used to meetthe crash protection requirements ofany option under S4. and in place ofany seat belt assembly otherwise re-quired by that option.

S4.5.3.1. An automatic belt that pro-vides only pelvic restraint may not beused pursuant to S4.5.3 to meet the re-quirements of an option that requires aType 2 seat belt assembly. An auto-matic belt may not be used pursuant toS4.5.3 to meet the requirements ofS4.1.5.1(a)(3) for a Type 2 seat belt as-sembly at any seating positionequipped with an inflatable restraintsystem pursuant to S4.1.5.2, S4.1.5.3,S4.2.6.1, or S4.2.6.2 of this standard.

S4.5.3.2 An automatic belt, fur-nished pursuant to S4.5.3, that providesboth pelvic and upper torso restraint


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

may have either a detachable or non-detachable upper torso portion, not-withstanding provisions of the optionunder which it is furnished.

S4.5.3.3 An automatic belt furnishedpursuant to S4.5.3 shall:

(a) Conform to S7.1 and have a singleemergency release mechanism whosecomponents are readily accessible to aseated occupant.

(b) In place of a warning system thatconforms to S7.3 of this standard, beequipped with the following warningsystem: At the left front designatedseating position (driver’s position), awarning system that activates a con-tinuous or intermittent audible signalfor a period of not less than 4 secondsand not more than 8 seconds and thatactivates a continuous or flashingwarning light visible to the driver fornot less than 60 seconds (beginningwhen the vehicle ignition switch ismoved to the ‘‘on’’ or the ‘‘start’’ posi-tion) when condition (A) exists simul-taneously with condition (B), and thatactivates a continuous or flashingwarning light, visible to the driver, dis-playing the identifying symbol for theseat belt telltale shown in Table 2 ofStandard No. 101 (49 CFR 571.101), or, atthe option of the manufacturer if per-mitted by Standard No. 101, displayingthe words ‘‘Fasten Seat Belts’’ or ‘‘Fas-ten Belts,’’ for as long as condition (A)exists simultaneously with condition(C).

(A) The vehicle’s ignition switch ismoved to the ‘‘on’’ position or to the‘‘start’’ position.

(B) The driver’s automatic belt is notin use, as determined by the belt latchmechanism not being fastened, or, ifthe automatic belt is non-detachable,by the emergency release mechanismbeing in the released position. In thecase of motorized automatic belts, thedetermination of use shall be madeonce the belt webbing is in its lockedprotective mode at the anchoragepoint.

(C) The belt webbing of a motorizedautomatic belt system is not in itslocked, protective mode at the anchor-age point.

S4.5.3.4 An automatic belt furnishedpursuant to S4.5.3 that is not requiredto meet the perpendicular frontal crashprotection requirements of S5.1 shall

conform to the webbing, attachmenthardware, and assembly performancerequirements of Standard No. 209.

S4.5.3.5 A replacement automaticbelt shall meet the requirements ofS4.1(k) of Standard No. 209.

S4.5.4 Passenger Air Bag Manual On-Off Switch. Passenger cars, trucks,buses, and multipurpose passenger ve-hicles manufactured before September1, 2000 may be equipped with a devicethat deactivates the air bag installedat the right front passenger position inthe vehicle, if all the conditions inS4.5.4.1 through 4.5.4.4 are satisfied.

S4.5.4.1 The vehicle complies witheither S4.5.4.1(a) or S4.5.4.1(b).

(a) The vehicle has no forward-facingdesignated seating positions to the rearof the front seating positions.

(b) With the seats and seat backs ad-justed as specified in S8.1.2 and S8.1.3,the distance, measured along a longitu-dinal horizontal line tangent to thehighest point of the rear seat bottomin the longitudinal vertical plane de-scribed in either S4.5.4.1(b)(1) orS4.5.4.1(b)(2), between the rearward sur-face of the front seat back and the for-ward surface of the rear seat back isless than 720 millimeters.

(1) In a vehicle equipped with frontbucket seats, the vertical plane at thecenterline of the driver’s seat cushion.

(2) In a vehicle equipped with frontbench seating, the vertical plane whichpasses through the center of the steer-ing wheel rim.

S4.5.4.2 The device is operable bymeans of the ignition key for the vehi-cle. The device shall be separate fromthe ignition switch for the vehicle, sothat the driver must take some actionwith the ignition key other than in-serting it or turning it in the ignitionswitch to deactivate the passenger airbag. Once deactivated, the passengerair bag shall remain deactivated untilit is reactivated by means of the de-vice.

S4.5.4.3 A telltale light on the dash-board shall be clearly visible from allfront seating positions and shall be il-luminated whenever the passenger airbag is deactivated. The telltale:

(a) Shall be yellow;(b) Shall have the identifying words

‘‘AIR BAG OFF’’ on the telltale orwithin 25 millimeters of the telltale;


509


(c) Shall remain illuminated for theentire time that the passenger air bagis deactivated;

(d) Shall not be illuminated at anytime when the passenger air bag is notdeactivated; and,

(e) Shall not be combined with thereadiness indicator required by S4.5.2of this standard.

S4.5.4.4 The vehicle owner’s manualshall provide, in a readily understand-able format:

(a) Complete instructions on the op-eration of the on-off switch;

(b) A statement that the on-offswitch should only be used when amember of a passenger risk group iden-tified in the request form in AppendixB to part 595 of this chapter is occupy-ing the right front passenger seatingposition; and,

(c) A warning about the safety con-sequences of using the on-off switch atother times.

S4.5.5 Smart passenger air bags. Forpurposes of this standard, a smart pas-senger air bag is a passenger air bagthat:

(a) Provides an automatic means toensure that the air bag does not deploywhen a child seat or child with a totalmass of 30 kg or less is present on thefront outboard passenger seat, or

(b) Incorporates sensors, other thanor in addition to weight sensors, whichautomatically prevent the air bag fromdeploying in situations in which itmight have an adverse effect on infantsin rear-facing child seats, and unbeltedor improperly belted children, or

(c) Is designed to deploy in a mannerthat does not create a risk of seriousinjury to infants in rear-facing childseats, and unbelted or improperly belt-ed children.

S4.6 Dynamic testing of manual beltsystems.

S4.6.1 Each truck and multipurposepassenger vehicle with a GVWR of 8,500pounds or less and an unloaded weightof less than 5,500 pounds that is manu-factured on or after September 1, 1991,and is equipped with a Type 2 seat beltassembly at a front outboard des-ignated seating position pursuant toS4.1.2.3 shall meet the frontal crashprotection requirements of S5.1 atthose designated seating positions witha test dummy restrained by a Type 2

seat belt assembly that has been ad-justed in accordance with S7.4.2. A ve-hicle shall not be deemed to be in non-compliance with this standard if itsmanufacturer establishes that it didnot have reason to know in the exer-cise of due care that such vehicle is notin conformity with the requirement ofthis standard.

S4.6.2 Any manual seat belt assem-bly subject to the requirements of S5.1of this standard by virtue of any provi-sion of this standard other thanS4.1.2.1(c)(2) does not have to meet therequirements of S4.2(a)–(f) and S4.4 ofStandard No. 209 (§ 571.209).

S4.6.3 Any manual seat belt assem-bly subject to the requirements of S5.1of this standard by virtue ofS4.1.2.1(c)(2) does not have to meet theelongation requirements of S4.2(c),S4.4(a)(2), S4.4(b)(4), and S4.4(b)(5) ofStandard No. 209 (§ 571.209).

S5. Occupant crash protection require-ments.

S5.1 Frontal barrier crash test. Impacta vehicle traveling longitudinally for-ward at any speed, up to and including30 mph, into a fixed collision barrierthat is perpendicular to the line oftravel of the vehicle, or at any angle upto 30 degrees in either direction fromthe perpendicular to the line of travelof the vehicle under the applicable con-ditions of S8. The test dummy specifiedin S8.1.8 placed in each front outboarddesignated seating position shall meetthe injury criteria of S6.1, S6.2, S6.3,S6.4, and S6.5 of this standard.

S5.2 Lateral moving barrier crash test.Impact a vehicle laterally on eitherside by a barrier moving at 20 mphunder the applicable conditions of S8.The test dummy specified in S8.1.8 po-sitioned in the front outboard des-ignated seating position adjacent tothe impacted side shall meet the injurycriteria of S6.2 and S6.3 of this stand-ard.

S5.3 Rollover. Subject a vehicle to arollover test in either lateral directionat 30 mph under the applicable condi-tions of S8 of this standard with a testdummy specified in S8.1.8 placed in thefront outboard designated seating posi-tion on the vehicle’s lower side asmounted on the test platform. The testdummy shall meet the injury criteriaof S6.1 of this standard.


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

S6 Injury criteria for the part 572, sub-part E, Hybrid III test dummy.

S6.1 All portions of the test dummyshall be contained within the outersurfaces of the vehicle passenger com-partment throughout the test.

S6.2 The resultant acceleration atthe center of gravity of the head shallbe such that the expression:

HICt t

adt t tt

t

=−

−∫1

2 1

2 5

2 1

1

2

( )( )

.

shall not exceed 1,000 where a is the re-sultant acceleration expressed as amultiple of g (the acceleration of grav-ity), and t1 and t2 are any two points intime during the crash of the vehiclewhich are separated by not more thana 36 millisecond time interval.

S6.3 The resultant acceleration cal-culated from the output of the thoracicinstrumentation shown in drawing78051.218, revision R incorporated byreference in part 572, subpart E of thischapter shall not exceed 60 g’s, exceptfor intervals whose cumulative dura-tion is not more than 3 milliseconds.

S6.4 Compression deflection of thesternum relative to the spine, as deter-mined by instrumentation shown indrawing 78051–317, revision A incor-porated by reference in part 572, sub-part E of this chapter, shall not exceed3 inches.

S6.5 The force transmitted axiallythrough each upper leg shall not exceed2250 pounds.

S7. Seat belt assembly requirements. Asused in this section, a law enforcementvehicle means any vehicle manufac-tured primarily for use by the UnitedStates or by a State or local govern-ment for police or other law enforce-ment purposes.

S7.1 Adjustment.S7.1.1 Except as specified in S7.1.1.1

and S7.1.1.2, the lap belt of any seatbelt assembly furnished in accordancewith S4.1.2 shall adjust by means ofany emergency-locking or automatic-locking retractor that conforms to§ 571.209 to fit persons whose dimen-sions range from those of a 50th per-centile 6-year-old child to those of a95th percentile adult male and theupper torso restraint shall adjust bymeans of an emergency-locking retrac-

tor or a manual adjusting device thatconforms to § 571.209 to fit personswhose dimensions range from those ofa 5th percentile adult female to thoseof a 95th percentile adult male, withthe seat in any position, the seat backin the manufacturer’s nominal designriding position, and any adjustable an-chorages adjusted to the manufactur-er’s nominal design position for a 50thpercentile adult male occupant. How-ever, an upper torso restraint furnishedin accordance with S4.1.2.3.1(a) shalladjust by means of an emergency-lock-ing retractor that conforms to § 571.209.

S7.1.1.1 A seat belt assembly in-stalled at the driver’s seating positionshall adjust to fit persons whose di-mensions range from those of a 5th-per-centile adult female to those of a 95th-percentile adult male.

S7.1.1.2 (a) A seat belt assembly in-stalled in a motor vehicle other than aforward control vehicle at any des-ignated seating position other than theoutboard positions of the front and sec-ond seats shall adjust either by a re-tractor as specified in S7.1.1 or by amanual adjusting device that conformsto § 571.209.

(b) A seat belt assembly installed ina forward control vehicle at any des-ignated seating position other than thefront outboard seating positions shalladjust either by a retractor as specifiedin S7.1.1 or by a manual adjusting de-vice that conforms to § 571.209.

(c) A seat belt assembly installed in aforward-facing rear outboard seatingposition in a law enforcement vehicleshall adjust either by a retractor asspecified in S7.1.1 or by a manual ad-justing device that conforms to§ 571.209.

S7.1.1.3 A Type 1 lap belt or the lapbelt portion of any Type 2 seat belt as-sembly installed at any forward-facingoutboard designated seating position ofa vehicle with a gross vehicle weightrating of 10,000 pounds or less to com-ply with a requirement of this stand-ard, except walk-in van-type vehiclesand school buses, and except in rearseating positions in law enforcementvehicles, shall meet the requirementsof S7.1 by means of an emergency lock-ing retractor that conforms to Stand-ard No. 209 (49 CFR 571.209).


511


S7.1.1.4 Notwithstanding the otherprovisions of S7.1—S7.1.1.3, emergency-locking retractors on belt assemblieslocated in positions other than frontoutboard designated seating postionsmay be equipped with a manual web-bing adjustment device capable ofcausing the retractor that adjusts thelap belt to lock when the belt is buck-led.

S7.1.1.5 Passenger cars, and trucks,buses, and multipurpose passenger ve-hicles with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds orless manufactured on or after Septem-ber 1, 1995 shall meet the requirementsof S7.1.1.5(a), S7.1.1.5(b) and S7.1.1.5(c).

(a) Each designated seating position,except the driver’s position, and exceptany right front seating position that isequipped with an automatic belt, thatis in any motor vehicle, except walk-invan-type vehicles and vehicles manu-factured to be sold exclusively to theU.S. Postal Service, and that is for-ward-facing or can be adjusted to beforward-facing, shall have a seat beltassembly whose lap belt portion islockable so that the seat belt assemblycan be used to tightly secure a child re-straint system. The means provided tolock the lap belt or lap belt portion ofthe seat belt assembly shall not consistof any device that must be attached bythe vehicle user to the seat belt web-bing, retractor, or any other part of thevehicle. Additionally, the means pro-vided to lock the lap belt or lap beltportion of the seat belt assembly shallnot require any inverting, twisting orotherwise deforming of the belt web-bing.

(b) If the means provided pursuant toS7.1.1.5(a) to lock the lap belt or lapbelt portion of any seat belt assemblymakes it necessary for the vehicle userto take some action to activate thelocking feature, the vehicle owner’smanual shall include a description inwords and/or diagrams describing howto activate the locking feature so thatthe seat belt assembly can tightly se-cure a child restraint system and howto deactivate the locking feature to re-move the child restraint system.

(c) Except for seat belt assembliesthat have no retractor or that areequipped with an automatic locking re-tractor, compliance with S7.1.1.5(a) is

demonstrated by the following proce-dure:

(1) With the seat in any adjustmentposition, buckle the seat belt assembly.Complete any procedures recommendedin the vehicle owner’s manual, pursu-ant to S7.1.1.5(b), to activate any lock-ing feature for the seat belt assembly.

(2) Locate a reference point A on thesafety belt buckle. Locate a referencepoint B on the attachment hardware orretractor assembly at the other end ofthe lap belt or lap belt portion of theseat belt assembly. Adjust the lap beltor lap belt portion of the seat belt as-sembly pursuant to S7.1.1.5(c)(1) as nec-essary so that the webbing betweenpoints A and B is at the maximumlength allowed by the belt system.Measure and record the distance be-tween points A and B along the longi-tudinal centerline of the webbing forthe lap belt or lap belt portion of theseat belt assembly.

(3) Readjust the belt system so thatthe webbing between points A and B isat any length that is 5 inches or moreshorter than the maximum length ofthe webbing.

(4) Apply a pre-load of 10 pounds,using the webbing tension pull devicedescribed in Figure 5 of this standard,to the lap belt or lap belt portion of theseat belt assembly in a vertical planeparallel to the longitudinal axis of thevehicle and passing through the seat-ing reference point of the designatedseating position whose belt system isbeing tested. Apply the pre-load in ahorizontal direction toward the frontof the vehicle with a force applicationangle of not less than 5 degrees normore than 15 degrees above the hori-zontal. Measure and record the lengthof belt between points A and B alongthe longitudinal centerline of the web-bing for the lap belt or lap belt portionof the seat belt assembly while the pre-load is being applied.

(5) Apply a load of 50 pounds, usingthe webbing tension pull device de-scribed in Figure 5 of this standard, tothe lap belt or lap belt portion of theseat belt assembly in a vertical planeparallel to the longitudinal axis of thevehicle and passing through the seat-ing reference point of the designatedseating position whose belt system isbeing tested. The load is applied in a


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–98 Edition)§ 571.208

horizontal direction toward the frontof the vehicle with a force applicationangle of not less than 5 degrees normore than 15 degrees above the hori-zontal at an onset rate of not morethan 50 pounds per second. Attain the50 pound load in not more than 5 sec-onds. If webbing sensitive emergencylocking retroactive are installed aspart of the lap belt assembly or lap beltportion of the seat belt assembly, applythe load at a rate less than the thresh-old value for lock-up specified by themanufacturer. Maintain the 50 poundload for at least 5 seconds before themeasurements specified in S7.1.1.5(c)(6)are obtained and recorded.

(6) Measure and record the length ofbelt between points A and B along thelongitudinal centerline of the webbingfor the lap belt or lap belt portion ofthe seat belt assembly.

(7) The difference between the meas-urements recorded under S7.1.1.5(c) (6)and (4) shall not exceed 2 inches.

(8) The difference between the meas-urements recorded under S7.1.1.5(c) (6)and (2) shall be 3 inches or more.

S7.1.2 Except as provided in S7.1.2.1,S7.1.2.2, and S7.1.2.3, for each Type 2seat belt assembly which is required byStandard No. 208 (49 CFR 571.208), theupper anchorage, or the lower anchor-age nearest the intersection of thetorso belt and the lap belt, shall in-clude a movable component which hasa minimum of two adjustment posi-tions. The distance between the geo-metric center of the movable compo-nent at the two extreme adjustmentpositions shall be not less than fivecentimeters, measured linearly. If thecomponent required by this paragraphmust be manually moved between ad-justment positions, information shallbe provided in the owner’s manual toexplain how to adjust the seat belt andwarn that misadjustment could reducethe effectiveness of the safety belt in acrash.

S7.1.2.1 As an alternative to meet-ing the requirement of S7.1.2, a Type 2seat belt assembly shall provide ameans of automatically moving thewebbing in relation to either the upperanchorage, or the lower anchoragenearest the intersection of the torsobelt and the lap belt. The distance be-tween the midpoint of the webbing atthe contact point of the webbing andthe anchorage at the extreme adjust-ment positions shall be not less thanfive centimeters, measured linearly.

S7.1.2.2 The requirements of S7.1.2do not apply the anchorages of a Type2 seat belt assembly installed:

(a) At a seat which is adjustable foreand aft while the vehicle is in motionand whose seat frame above the fore-and-aft adjuster is part of each of theassembly’s seat belt anchorages, as de-fined in S3 of Standard No. 210 (49 CFR571.210).

(b) At a seat that is not adjustablefore and aft while the vehicle is in mo-tion.

S7.1.2.3 The requirements of S7.1.2do not apply to any truck with a grossvehicle weight rating of more than8,500 pounds manufactured before Janu-ary 1, 1998.

S7.1.3 The intersection of the uppertorso belt with the lap belt in any Type2 seat belt assembly furnished in ac-cordance with S4.1.1 or S4.1.2, with theupper torso manual adjusting device, ifprovided, adjusted in accordance withthe manufacturer’s instructions, shallbe at least 6 inches from the front ver-tical centerline of a 50th-percentileadult male occupant, measured alongthe centerline of the lap belt, with theseat in its rearmost and lowest adjust-able position and with the seat back inthe manufacturer’s nominal designriding position.

S7.1.4 The weights and dimensionsof the vehicle occupants referred to inthis standard are as follows:

50th-percentile 6-year old child

5th-percentile adultfemale 50th-percentile adult male 95th-percentile

adult male

Weight ............................................. 47.3 pounds .......... 102 pounds ........... 164 pounds ±3 ................ 215 pounds.Erect sitting height .......................... 25.4 inches ........... 30.9 inches ........... 35.7 inches±.1 ................ 38 inches.Hip breadth (sitting) ........................ 8.4 inches ............. 12.8 inches ........... 14.7 inches±.7 ................ 16.5 inches.Hip circumference (sitting) .............. 23.9 inches ........... 36.4 inches ........... 42 inches ........................ 47.2 inches.Waist circumference (sitting) .......... 20.8 inches ........... 23.6 inches ........... 32 inches±.6 ................... 42.5 inches.Chest depth .................................... ............................... 7.5 inches ............. 9.3 inches±.2 .................. 10.5 inches.Chest circumference:

(nipple) ..................................... ............................... 30.5 inches ........... .........................................


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50th-percentile 6-year old child

5th-percentile adultfemale 50th-percentile adult male 95th-percentile

adult male

(upper) ..................................... ............................... 29.8 inches ........... 37.4 inches±.6 ................ 44.5 inches.(lower) ...................................... ............................... 26.6 inches ........... .........................................

S7.2 Latch mechanism. Except as pro-vided in S7.2(e), each seat belt assem-bly installed in any vehicle shall havea latch mechanism that complies withthe requirements specified in S7.2(a)through (d).

(a) The components of the latchmechanism shall be accessible to aseated occupant in both the stowed andoperational positions;

(b) The latch mechanism shall re-lease both the upper torso restraintand the lap belt simultaneously, if theassembly has a lap belt and an uppertorso restraint that require unlatchingfor release of the occupant;

(c) The latch mechanism shall re-lease at a single point; and;

(d) The latch mechanism shall re-lease by a pushbutton action.

(e) The requirements of S7.2 do notapply to any automatic belt assembly.The requirements specified in S7.2(a)through (c) do not apply to any safetybelt assembly installed at a forward-facing rear outboard seating positionin a law enforcement vehicle.

S7.3 (a) A seat belt assembly providedat the driver’s seating position shall beequipped with a warning system that,at the option of the manufacturer, ei-ther—

(1) Activates a continuous or inter-mittent audible signal for a period ofnot less than 4 seconds and not morethan 8 seconds and that activates acontinuous or flashing warning lightvisible to the driver displaying theidentifying symbol for the seat belttelltale shown in Table 2 of FMVSS 101or, at the option of the manufacturer ifpermitted by FMVSS 101, displayingthe words ‘‘Fasten Seat Belts’’ or ‘‘Fas-ten Belts’’, for not less than 60 seconds(beginning when the vehicle ignitionswitch is moved to the ‘‘on’’ or the‘‘start’’ position) when condition (b)exists simultaneously with condition(c), or that

(2) Activates, for a period of not lessthan 4 seconds and not more than 8 sec-onds (beginning when the vehicle igni-tion switch is moved to the ‘‘on’’ or the

‘‘start’’ position), a continuous orflashing warning light visible to thedriver, displaying the identifying sym-bol of the seat belt telltale shown inTable 2 of FMVSS 101 or, at the optionof the manufacturer if permitted byFMVSS 101, displaying the words ‘‘Fas-ten Seat Belts’’ or ‘‘Fasten Belts’’,when condition (b) exists, and a contin-uous or intermittent audible signalwhen condition (b) exists simulta-neously with condition (c).

(b) The vehicle’s ignition switch ismoved to the ‘‘on’’ position or to the‘‘start’’ position.

(c) The driver’s lap belt is not in use,as determined, at the option of themanufacturer, either by the belt latchmechanism not being fastened, or bythe belt not being extended at least 4inches from its stowed position.

S7.4 Seat belt comfort and conven-ience.

(a) Automatic seat belts. Automaticseat belts installed in any vehicle,other than walk-in van-type vehicles,which has a gross vehicle weight ratingof 10,000 pounds or less, and which ismanufactured on or after September 1,1986, shall meet the requirements ofS7.4.1, S7.4.2, and S7.4.3.

(b) Manual seat belts.(1) Vehicles manufactured after Septem-

ber 1, 1986. Manual seat belts installedin any vehicle, other than manual Type2 belt systems installed in the frontoutboard seating positions in passengercars or manual belts in walk-in van-type vehicles, which have a gross vehi-cle weight rating of 10,000 pounds orless, shall meet the requirements ofS7.4.3, S7.4.4, S7.4.5, and S7.4.6.

(2) Vehicles manufactured after Septem-ber 1, 1989.

(i) If the automatic restraint require-ment of S4.1.4 is rescinded pursuant toS4.1.5, then manual seat belts installedin a passenger car shall meet the re-quirements of S7.1.1.3(a), S7.4.2, S7.4.3,S7.4.4, S7.4.5, and S7.4.6.

(ii) Manual seat belts installed in abus, multipurpose passenger vehicleand truck with a gross vehicle weight


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rating of 10,000 pounds or less, exceptfor walk-in van-type vehicles, shallmeet the requirements of S7.4.3, S7.4.4,S7.4.5, and S7.4.6.

S7.4.1 Convenience hooks. Any man-ual convenience hook or other devicethat is provided to stow seat belt web-bing to facilitate entering or exitingthe vehicle shall automatically releasethe webbing when the automatic beltsystem is otherwise operational andshall remain in the released mode foras long as (a) exists simultaneouslywith (b), or, at the manufacturer’s op-tion, for as long as (a) exists simulta-neously with (c)—

(a) The vehicle ignition switch ismoved to the ‘‘on’’ or ‘‘start’’ position;

(b) The vehicle’s drive train is en-gaged;

(c) The vehicle’s parking brake is inthe released mode (nonengaged).

S7.4.2 Webbing tension-relieving de-vice. Each vehicle with an automaticseat belt assembly or with a Type 2manual seat belt assembly that mustmeet the occupant crash protection re-quirements of S5.1 of this standard in-stalled at a front outboard designatedseating position, and each vehicle witha Type 2 manual seat belt assembly in-stalled at a rear outboard designatedseating position in compliance with arequirement of this standard, that haseither automatic or manual tension-re-lieving devices permitting the intro-duction of slack in the webbing of theshoulder belt (e.g., ‘‘comfort clips’’ or‘‘window-shade’’ devices) shall:

(a) Comply with the requirements ofS5.1 with the shoulder belt webbing ad-justed to introduce the maximumamount of slack recommended by thevehicle manufacturer pursuant toS7.4.2(b).

(b) Have a section in the vehicle own-er’s manual that explains how the ten-sion-relieving device works and speci-fies the maximum amount of slack (ininches) recommended by the vehiclemanufacturer to be introduced into theshoulder belt under normal use condi-tions. The explanation shall also warnthat introducing slack beyond theamount specified by the manufacturercould significantly reduce the effec-tiveness of the shoulder belt in a crash;and

(c) Have, except for open-body vehi-cles with no doors, an automatic meansto cancel any shoulder belt slack intro-duced into the belt system by a ten-sion-relieving device. In the case of anautomatic safety belt system, cancella-tion of the tension-relieving deviceshall occur each time the adjacent ve-hicle door is opened. In the case of amanual seat belt required to meet S5.1,cancellation of the tension-relievingdevice shall occur, at the manufactur-er’s option, either each time the adja-cent door is opened or each time thelatchplate is released from the buckle.In the case of a Type 2 manual seatbelt assembly installed at a rear out-board designated seating position, can-cellation of the tension-relieving de-vice shall occur, at the manufacturer’soption either each time the door de-signed to allow the occupant of thatseating position entry and egress of thevehicle is opened or each time thelatchplate is released from the buckle.In the case of open-body vehicles withno doors, cancellation of the tension-relieving device may be done by a man-ual means.

S7.4.3 Belt contact force. Except formanual or automatic seat belt assem-blies that incorporate a webbing ten-sion-relieving device, the upper torsowebbing of any seat belt assembly shallnot exert more than 0.7 pounds of con-tact force when measured normal toand one inch from the chest of ananthropomorphic test dummy, posi-tioned in accordance with S10 of thisstandard in the seating position forwhich that seat belt assembly is pro-vided, at the point where the centerlineof the torso belt crosses themidsagittal line on the dummy’s chest.

S7.4.4 Latchplate access. Any seatbelt assembly latchplate that is lo-cated outboard of a front outboardseating position in accordance withS4.1.2 shall also be located within theoutboard reach envelope of either theoutboard arm or the inboard arm de-scribed in S10.7 and Figure 3 of thisstandard, when the latchplate is in itsnormal stowed position and any adjust-able anchorages are adjusted to themanufacturer’s nominal design posi-tion for a 50th percentile adult maleoccupant. There shall be sufficientclearance between the vehicle seat and


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the side of the vehicle interior to allowthe test block defined in Figure 4 ofthis standard unhindered transit to thelatchplate or buckle.

S7.4.5 Retraction. When tested underthe conditions of S8.1.2 and S8.1.3, withanthropomorphic dummies whose armshave been removed and which are posi-tioned in accordance with S10 of thisstandard in the front outboard seatingpositions and restrained by the beltsystems for those positions, the torsoand lap belt webbing of any of thoseseat belt systems shall automaticallyretract to a stowed position eitherwhen the adjacent vehicle door is inthe open position and the seat beltlatchplate is released, or, at the optionof the manufacturer, when thelatchplate is released. That stowed po-sition shall prevent any part of thewebbing or hardware from beingpinched when the adjacent vehicle dooris closed. A belt system with a tension-relieving device in an open-bodied vehi-cle with no doors shall fully retractwhen the tension-relieving device is de-activated. For the purposes of these re-traction requirements, outboard arm-rests, which are capable of beingstowed, on vehicle seats shall be placedin their stowed position.

S7.4.6 Seat belt guides and hardware.S7.4.6.1 (a) Any manual seat belt as-

sembly whose webbing is designed topass through the seat cushion or be-tween the seat cushion and seat backshall be designed to maintain one ofthe following three seat belt parts (theseat belt latchplate, the buckle, or theseat belt webbing) on top of or abovethe seat cushion under normal condi-tions (i.e., conditions other than whenbelt hardware is intentionally pushedbehind the seat by a vehicle occupant).In addition, the remaining two seatbelt parts must be accessible undernormal conditions.

(b) The requirements of S7.4.6.1(a) donot apply to: (1) seats whose seat cush-ions are movable so that the seat backserves a function other than seating,(2) seats which are removable, or (3)seats which are movable so that thespace formerly occupied by the seatcan be used for a secondary function.

S7.4.6.2 The buckle and latchplate ofa manual seat belt assembly subject toS7.4.6.1 shall not pass through the

guides or conduits provided for inS7.4.6.1 and fall behind the seat whenthe events listed below occur in theorder specified: (a) The belt is com-pletely retracted or, if the belt is non-retractable, the belt is unlatched; (b)the seat is moved to any position towhich it is designed to be adjusted; and(c) the seat back, if foldable, is foldedforward as far as possible and thenmoved backward into position. The in-board receptacle end of a seat belt as-sembly installed at a front outboarddesignated seating position shall be ac-cessible with the center arm rest inany position to which it can be ad-justed (without having to move thearmrest).

S8. Test conditions.S8.1 General conditions. The follow-

ing conditions apply to the frontal, lat-eral, and rollover tests. Except forS8.1.1(d), the following conditionsapply to the alternative unbelted sledtest set forth in S13 from March 19, 1997until September 1, 2001.

S8.1.1 Except as provided in para-graph (c) of S8.1.1, the vehicle, includ-ing test devices and instrumentation,is loaded as follows:

(a) Passenger cars. A passenger car isloaded to its unloaded vehicle weightplus its rated cargo and luggage capac-ity weight, secured in the luggage area,plus the weight of the necessaryanthropomorphic test devices.

(b) Multipurpose passenger vehicles,trucks, and buses. A multipurpose pas-senger vehicle, truck, or bus is loadedto its unloaded vehicle weight plus 300pounds or its rated cargo and luggagecapacity weight, whichever is less, se-cured in the load carrying area and dis-tributed as nearly as possible in pro-portion to its gross axle weight rat-ings, plus the weight of the necessaryanthropomorphic test devices. For thepurposes of § 8.1.1, unloaded vehicleweight does not include the weight ofwork-performing accessories. Vehiclesare tested to a maximum unloaded ve-hicle weight of 5,500 pounds.

(c) Fuel system capacity. With the testvehicle on a level surface, pump thefuel from the vehicle’s fuel tank andthen operate the engine until it stops.Then, add Stoddard solvent to the testvehicle’s fuel tank in an amount whichis equal to not less than 92 and not


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more than 94 percent of the fuel tank’susable capacity stated by the vehicle’smanufacturer. In addition, add theamount of Stoddard solvent needed tofill the entire fuel system from the fueltank through the engine’s inductionsystem.

(d) Vehicle test attitude. Determine thedistance between a level surface and astandard reference point on the test ve-hicle’s body, directly above each wheelopening, when the vehicle is in its ‘‘asdelivered’’ condition. The ‘‘as deliv-ered’’ condition is the vehicle as re-ceived at the test site, with 100 percentof all fluid capacities and all tires in-flated to the manufacturer’s specifica-tions as listed on the vehicle’s tireplacard. Determine the distance be-tween the same level surface and thesame standard reference points in thevehicle’s ‘‘fully loaded condition.’’ The‘‘fully loaded condition’’ is the test ve-hicle loaded in accordance with S8.1.1(a) or (b), as applicable. The loadplaced in the cargo area shall be centerover the longitudinal centerline of thevehicle. The pretest vehicle attitudeshall be equal to either the as deliveredor fully loaded attitude or between theas delivered attitude and the fullyloaded attitude.

S8.1.2 Adjustable seats are in theadjustment position midway betweenthe forwardmost and rearmost posi-tions, and if separately adjustable in avertical direction, are at the lowest po-sition. If an adjustment position doesnot exist midway between theforwardmost and rearmost positions,the closest adjustment position to therear of the midpoint is used.

S8.1.3 Place adjustable seat backs inthe manufacturer’s nominal designriding position in the manner specifiedby the manufacturer. Place any adjust-able anchorages at the manufacturer’snominal design position for a 50th per-centile adult male occupant. Placeeach adjustable head restraint in itshighest adjustment position. Adjust-able lumbar supports are positioned sothat the lumbar support is in its lowestadjustment position.

S8.1.4 Adjustable steering controlsare adjusted so that the steering wheelhub is at the geometric center of thelocus it describes when it is moved

through its full range of driving posi-tions.

S8.1.5 Movable vehicle windows andvents are, at the manufacturer’s op-tion, placed in the fully closed posi-tion.

S8.1.6 Convertibles and open-bodytype vehicles have the top, if any, inplace in the closed passenger compart-ment configuration.

S8.1.7 Doors are fully closed andlatched but not locked.

S8.1.8 Anthropomorphic test dummies.S8.1.8.1 The anthropomorphic test

dummies used for evaluation of occu-pant protection systems manufacturedpursuant to applicable portions ofS4.1.2, S4.1.3, and S4.1.4 of this standardshall conform to the requirements ofsubpart E of part 572 of this chapter.

S8.1.8.2 Each test dummy is clothedin formfitting cotton stretch garmentswith short sleeves and midcalf lengthpants specified in drawings 78051–292and 78051–293 incorporated by referencein part 572, subpart E of this chapter,respectively or their equivalents. Asize 11EE shoe specified in drawings78051–294 (left) and 78051–295 (right) in-corporated by reference in part 572,subpart E of this chapter, or its equiva-lent is placed on each foot of the testdummy.

S8.1.8.3 Limb joints are set at 1g,barely restraining the weight of thelimb when extended horizontally. Legjoints are adjusted with the torso inthe supine position.

S8.1.8.4 Instrumentation does notaffect the motion of the dummies dur-ing impact or rollover.

S8.1.8.5 The stabilized test tempera-ture of the test dummy is at any tem-perature level between 69 degrees F and72 degrees F, inclusive.

S8.2 Lateral moving barrier crash testconditions. The following conditionsapply to the lateral moving barriercrash test.

S8.2.1 The moving barrier, includingthe impact surface, supporting struc-ture, and carriage, weighs 4,000 pounds.

S8.2.2 The impact surface of the bar-rier is a vertical, rigid, flat rectangle,78 inches wide and 60 inches high, per-pendicular to its direction of move-ment, with its lower edge horizontaland 5 inches above the ground surface.


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S8.2.3 During the entire impact se-quence the barrier undergoes no sig-nificant amount of dynamic or staticdeformation, and absorbs no significantportion of the energy resulting fromthe impact, except for energy that re-sults in translational rebound move-ment of the barrier.

S8.2.4 During the entire impact se-quence the barrier is guided so that ittravels in a straight line, with no sig-nificant lateral, vertical or rotationalmovement.

S8.2.5 The concrete surface uponwhich the vehicle is tested is level,rigid and of uniform construction, witha skidnumber of 75 when measured inaccordance with American Society forTesting and Materials Method E–274–65T at 40 m.p.h., omitting water deliv-ery as specified in paragraph 7.1 of thatmethod.

S8.2.6 The tested vehicle’s brakesare disengaged and the transmission isin neutral.

S8.2.7 The barrier and the test vehi-cle are positioned so that at impact—

(a) The vehicle is at rest in its nor-mal attitude;

(b) The barrier is traveling in a direc-tion perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle at 20 m.p.h.; and

(c) A vertical plane through the geo-metric center of the barrier impactsurface and perpendicular to that sur-

face passes through the driver’s seatingreference point in the tested vehicle.

S8.3 Rollover test conditions. The fol-lowing conditions apply to the rollovertest.

S8.3.1 The tested vehicle’s brakesare disengaged and the transmission isin neutral.

S8.3.2 The concrete surface on whichthe test is conducted is level, rigid, ofuniform construction, and of a suffi-cient size that the vehicle remains onit throughout the entire rollover cycle.It has a skid number of 75 when meas-ured in accordance with American So-ciety for Testing and Materials MethodE–274–65T at 40 m.p.h. omitting waterdelivery as specified in paragraph 7.1 ofthat method.

S8.3.3 The vehicle is placed on a de-vice, similar to that illustrated in Fig-ure 2, having a platform in the form ofa flat, rigid plane at an angle of 23°from the horizontal. At the lower edgeof the platform is an unyielding flange,perpendicular to the platform with aheight of 4 inches and a length suffi-cient to hold in place the tires thatrest against it. The intersection of theinner face of the flange with the upperface of the platform is 9 inches abovethe rollover surface. No other re-straints are used to hold the vehicle inposition during the deceleration of theplatform and the departure of the vehi-cle.


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S8.3.4 With the vehicle on the testplatform, the test devices remain asnearly as possible in the posture speci-fied in S8.1.

S8.3.5 Before the deceleration pulse,the platform is moving horizontally,and perpendicularly to the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle, at a constant speedof 30 m.p.h. for a sufficient period oftime for the vehicle to become motion-less relative to the platform.

S8.3.6 The platform is deceleratedfrom 30 to 0 m.p.h. in a distance of notmore than 3 feet, without change of di-rection and without transverse or rota-tional movement during the decelera-tion of the platform and the departureof the vehicle. The deceleration rate isat least 20g for a minimum of 0.04 sec-onds.

S8.4 Frontal test condition. If the ve-hicle is equipped with a cutoff devicepermitted by S4.5.4 of this standard,the device is deactivated.

S9. Pressure vessels and explosive de-vices.

S9.1 Pressure vessels. A pressure ves-sel that is continuously pressurizedshall conform to the requirements of§§ 178.65–2, 178.65–6(b), 178.65–7, 178.65–9(a) and (b), and 178.65–10 of this title. Itshall not leak or evidence visible dis-tortion when tested in accordance with§ 178.65–11(a) of this title and shall notfail in any of the ways enumerated in§ 178.65–11(b) of this title whenhydrostatically tested to destruction.It shall not crack when flattened in ac-cordance with § 178.65–12(a) of this titleto the limit specified in § 178.65–12(a)(4)of this title.

S9.2 Explosive devices. An explosivedevice shall not exhibit any of thecharacteristics prohibited by § 173.51 ofthis title. All explosive material shallbe enclosed in a structure that is capa-ble of containing the explosive energywithout sudden release of pressure ex-cept through overpressure relief de-vices or parts designed to release thepressure during actuation.

S10. Test dummy positioning proce-dures.

S10.1 Head. The transverse instru-mentation platform of the head shallbe level within 1⁄2 degree. To level thehead of the test dummy, the followingsequences must be followed. First, ad-just the position of the H point within

the limits set forth in S10.4.2.1 to levelthe transverse instrumentation plat-form of the head of the test dummy. Ifthe transverse instrumentation plat-form of the head is still not level, thenadjust the pelvic angle of the testdummy within the limits specified inS10.4.2.2 of this standard. If the trans-verse instrumentation platform of thehead is still not level, then adjust theneck bracket of the dummy the mini-mum amount necessary from the non-adjusted ‘‘0’’ setting to ensure that thetransverse instrumentation platform ofthe head is horizontal within 1⁄2 degree.The test dummy shall remain withinthe limits specified in S10.4.2.1 andS10.4.2.2. after any adjustment of theneck bracket.

S10.2 Upper Arms.S10.2.1 The driver’s upper arms shall

be adjacent to the torso with thecenterlines as close to a vertical planeas possible.

S10.2.2 The passenger’s upper armsshall be in contact with the seat backand the sides of the torso.

S10.3 Hands.S10.3.1 The palms of the drivers test

dummy shall be in contact with theouter part of the steering wheel rim atthe rim’s horizontal centerline. Thethumbs shall be over the steeringwheel rim and shall be lightly taped tothe steering wheel rim so that if thehand of the test dummy is pushed up-ward by a force of not less than 2pounds and not more than 5 pounds,the tape shall release the hand fromthe steering wheel rim.

S10.3.2 The palms of the passengertest dummy shall be in contact withthe outside of the thigh. The little fin-ger shall be in contact with the seatcushion.

S10.4 Torso.S10.4.1 Upper Torso.S10.4.1.1 In vehicles equipped with

bench seats, the upper torso of thedriver and passenger test dummiesshall rest against the seat back. Themidsagittal plane of the driver dummyshall be vertical and parallel to the ve-hicle’s longitudinal centerline, andpass through the center of the steeringwheel rim. The midsagittal plane of thepassenger dummy shall be vertical andparallel to the vehicle’s longitudinalcenterline and the same distance from


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the vehicle’s longitudinal centerline asthe midsagittal plane of the driverdummy.

S10.4.1.2 In vehicles equipped withbucket seats, the upper torso of thedriver and passenger test dummiesshall rest against the seat back. Themidsagittal plane of the driver and thepassenger dummy shall be vertical andshall coincide with the longitudinalcenterline of the bucket seat.

S10.4.2 Lower Torso.S10.4.2.1 H-point. The H-points of the

driver and passenger test dummiesshall coincide within 1⁄2 inch in the ver-tical dimension and 1⁄2 inch in the hori-zontal dimension of a point 1⁄4 inchbelow the position of the H-point deter-mined by using the equipment and pro-cedures specified in SAE J826 (APR1980) except that the length of thelower leg and thigh segments of the H-point machine shall be adjusted to 16.3and 15.8 inches, respectively, instead ofthe 50th percentile values specified inTable 1 of SAE J826.

S10.4.2.2 Pelvic angle. As determinedusing the pelvic angle gage (GM draw-ing 78051–532, incorporated by referencein part 572, subpart E of this chapter)which is inserted into the H-pointgaging hole of the dummy, the anglemeasured from the horizontal on thethree inch flat surface of the gage shallbe 221⁄2 degrees plus or minus 21⁄2 de-grees.

S10.5 Legs. The upper legs of thedriver and passenger test dummiesshall rest against the seat cushion tothe extent permitted by placement ofthe feet. The initial distance betweenthe outboard knee clevis flange sur-faces shall be 10.6 inches. To the extentpracticable, the left leg of the driverdummy and both legs of the passengerdummy shall be in vertical longitu-dinal planes. To the extent practicable,the right leg of the driver dummy shallbe in a vertical plane. Final adjust-ment to accommodate the placementof feet in accordance with S10.6 for var-ious passenger compartment configura-tions is permitted.

S10.6 Feet.S10.6.1 Driver’s position.S10.6.1.1 Rest the right foot of the

test dummy on the undepressed accel-erator pedal with the rearmost point ofthe heel on the floor pan in the plane of

the pedal. If the foot cannot be placedon the accelerator pedal, set it ini-tially perpendicular to the lower legand place it as far forward as possiblein the direction of the pedal centerlinewith the rearmost point of the heelresting on the floor pan.

S10.6.1.2 Place the left foot on thetoeboard with the rearmost point ofthe heel resting on the floor pan asclose as possible to the point of inter-section of the planes described by thetoeboard and the floor pan and not onthe wheelwell projection. If the footcannot be positioned on the toeboard,set it initially perpendicular to thelower leg and place it as far forward aspossible with the heel resting on thefloor pan. If necessary to avoid contactwith the vehicle’s brake or clutchpedal, rotate the test dummy’s left footabout the lower leg. If there is stillpedal interference, rotate the left legoutboard about the hip the minimumdistance necessary to avoid the pedalinterference. For vehicles with a footrest that does not elevate the left footabove the level of the right foot, placethe left foot on the foot rest so thatthe upper and lower leg centerlines fallin a vertical plane.

S10.6.2 Passenger’s position.S10.6.2.1 Vehicles with a flat floor pan/

toeboard. Place the right and left feeton the vehicle’s toeboard with theheels resting on the floor pan as closeas possible to the intersection pointwith the toeboard. If the feet cannot beplaced flat on the toeboard, set themperpendicular to the lower legcenterlines and place them as far for-ward as possible with the heels restingon the floor pan.

S10.6.2.2 Vehicles with wheelhouseprojections in passenger compartment.Place the right and left feet in the wellof the floor pan/toeboard and not onthe wheelhouse projection. If the feetcannot be placed flat on the toeboard,initially set them perpendicular to thelower leg centerlines and then placethem as far forward as possible withthe heels resting on the floor pan.

S10.7 Test dummy positioning forlatchplate access. The reach envelopesspecified in S7.4.4 of this standard areobtained by positioning a test dummyin the driver’s or passenger’s seating


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position and adjusting that seating po-sition to its forwardmost adjustmentposition. Attach the lines for the in-board and outboard arms to the testdummy as described in Figure 3 of thisstandard. Extend each line backwardand outboard to generate the compli-ance arcs of the outboard reach enve-lope of the test dummy’s arms.

S10.8 Test dummy positioning for beltcontact force. To determine compliancewith S7.4.3 of this standard, positionthe test dummy in the vehicle in ac-cordance with S10.1 through S10.6 ofthis standard and adjust the seatingposition in accordance with S8.1.2 andS8.1.3 of this standard. Pull the beltwebbing three inches from the testdummy’s chest and release until thewebbing is within one inch of the testdummy’s chest and measure the beltcontact force.

S10.9 Manual belt adjustment for dy-namic testing. With the test dummy po-

sitioned in accordance with S10.1through S10.6 of this standard and theseating position adjusted in accordancewith S8.1.2 and S8.1.3 of this standard,place the Type 2 manual belt aroundthe test dummy and fasten the latch.Remove all slack from the lap belt por-tion. Pull the upper torso webbing outof the retractor and allow it to retract;repeat this four times. Apply a 2 to 4pound tension load to the lap belt. Ifthe belt system is equipped with a ten-sion-relieving device, introduce themaximum amount of slack into theupper torso belt that is recommendedby the vehicle manufacturer in the ve-hicle’s owner’s manual. If the belt sys-tem is not equipped with a tension-re-lieving device, allow the excess web-bing in the upper torso belt to be re-tracted by the retractive force of theretractor.


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S11. [Reserved]S12. Temporary Exemption from Re-

quirement for Inflatable Restraint System.S12.1 Scope. This section establishes

procedures for filing and processing ap-plications for temporary exemptionfrom the requirements in this standardthat vehicles be equipped with inflat-able restraint systems.

S12.2 Definitions.Line means a name that a manufac-

turer applies to a group of motor vehi-cles of the same make which have thesame body or chassis, or otherwise aresimilar in construction or design. Aline may, for example, include 2-door, 4-

door, station wagon, and hatchback ve-hicles of the same make.

S12.3 Standard of review. In order toreceive a temporary exemption fromthe inflatable restraint requirement, avehicle manufacturer must dem-onstrate in its application that therehas been a disruption in the supply ofone or more inflatable restraint systemcomponents, or a disruption in the useand installation by the manufacturerof any such component due to unavoid-able events not under the control ofthe manufacturer, which will prevent a


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manufacturer from meeting its antici-pated production volume of vehicleswith inflatable restraint systems.

S12.4 Exemption applications—Generalrequirements. Each application for atemporary exemption from the inflat-able restraint requirements must—

(a) Be written in the English lan-guage;

(b) Be submitted in three copies to:Administrator, National Highway Traf-fic Safety Administration, 400 SeventhStreet, SW., Washington, DC 20590;

(c) State the full name and address ofthe manufacturer, the nature of its or-ganization (individual, partnership,corporation, etc.), and the name of theState or country under the laws ofwhich it is organized;

(d) Identify the motor vehicle line orlines for which the temporary exemp-tion is being sought;

(e) Set forth in full the data, views,and arguments of the manufacturerthat would support granting the tem-porary exemption, including the spe-cific information required by S12.5; and

(f) Specify and segregate any part ofthe information and data submitted inthe application that should be withheldfrom public disclosure in accordancewith part 512 of this chapter.

S12.5 Exemption applications—Specificcontent requirements. Each applicationfor a temporary exemption from the in-flatable restraint requirement must in-clude:

(a) A clear and specific identificationof any component in the inflatable re-straint system that has become un-available due to circumstances beyondthe manufacturer’s control, and a dia-gram showing the location of suchcomponent within the restraint systemand within the vehicle;

(b) A clear and specific explanationof the cause or causes of the disruptionin the supply of the component, and ashowing that such disruption is beyondthe control of the manufacturer;

(c) An estimate of the length of timethat will be needed to correct the dis-ruption and again incorporate the sub-ject components into current produc-tion, or an explanation of why it is notpossible to provide such an estimate;

(d) A complete statement of the basesfor the manufacturer’s belief thatNHTSA should grant a temporary ex-

emption in response to this applica-tion;

(e) An unconditional statement bythe manufacturer that it will recallevery vehicle for which a temporaryexemption is requested in the applica-tion, to install all missing inflatablerestraint systems;

(f) A plan setting forth steps themanufacturer will take to ensure thatas many exempted vehicles as possiblewill be returned for installation ofmissing inflatable restraint systems;

(g) A proposed reasonable period oftime after the disruption in the supplyof inflatable restraint system compo-nents is corrected that the manufac-turer estimates will ensure a sufficientquantity of components for both an-ticipated production and retrofit ofthose vehicles for which a temporaryexemption is requested in the applica-tion, so that the vehicle manufacturercan recall those vehicles for which atemporary exemption is requested andinstall inflatable restraint systems inthem, together with a demonstrationof why the manufacturer believes thisproposed period of time is reasonablefor completing this recall, or an expla-nation of why it is not possible to pro-vide such an estimate;

(h) A proposed date for terminationof the exemption;

(i) A proposed date by which all ex-empted vehicles will have been recalledand had inflatable restraints installed(assuming owners returned their vehi-cles in a timely matter in response toa first notice by the manufacturer), oran explanation of why it is not possibleto provide such an estimate.

S12.6 Processing an application for atemporary exemption. (a) NHTSA willprocess any application for temporaryexemption that contains the informa-tion specified in S12.4 and S12.5. If anapplication fails to provide the infor-mation specified in S12.4 and S12.5,NHTSA will not process the applica-tion, but will advise the manufacturerof the information that must be pro-vided if the agency is to process the ap-plication.

(b) Notice of each application fortemporary exemption shall be pub-lished in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

(c) NHTSA will issue its decision togrant or deny the requested temporary


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exemption not later than 15 days afterthe agency receives a complete peti-tion, as defined in paragraph (a). How-ever, a failure to issue a decision with-in this time does not result in a grantof the petition.

(d) Notice of each decision to grantor deny a temporary exemption, andthe reasons for granting or denying it,will be published in the FEDERAL REG-ISTER.

(e) The Administrator may attachsuch conditions as he or she deems ap-propriate to a temporary exemption,including but not limited to requiringmanufacturers to provide progress re-ports at specified times (including, asappropriate and to the extent possible,estimate of dates and times concerningwhen a supply disruption will be cor-rected and when recall will take place)and requiring manufacturers to takespecific steps to ensure that as manyexempted vehicles as possible will bereturned for installation of missing in-flatable restraint systems.

(f) Unless a later effective date isspecified in a notice announcing anagency decision to grant a temporaryexemption, a temporary exemptionfrom the inflatable restraint require-ment will become effective upon thedate the decision is issued.

S12.7 Labels and written notice an-nouncing temporary exemption.

S12.7.1 It shall be a condition ofevery temporary exemption from theinflatable restraint requirement thatthe manufacturer of exempted vehiclescomply with the provisions of S12.7.2and S12.7.3.

S12.7.2 (a) The manufacturer of anyvehicle granted a temporary exemptionfrom the inflatable restraint require-ment shall affix a label within the pas-senger compartment of such vehicle.The label shall set forth the followinginformation in block capital lettersand numerals not less than three thir-ty-seconds of an inch high:

THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT CONTAIN ANAIR BAG IN CONFORMANCE WITH THEFEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETYSTANDARD FOR OCCUPANT CRASH PRO-TECTION. IT WAS EXEMPTED PURSUANTTO NHTSA EXEMPTION NO. (insert numberassigned by NHTSA).

(b) This label shall not be removeduntil after the vehicle manufacturer

has recalled the vehicle and installedan inflatable restraint system at thoseseating positions for which it wasgranted an exemption.

S12.7.3 The manufacturer of any ve-hicle that is delivered without an in-flatable restraint system, pursuant toa temporary exemption granted underthis section, shall, at the time of deliv-ery of the vehicle, provide a writtennotice to the dealer to whom the vehi-cle is delivered. The manufacturershall also provide a written notice byregistered mail to the first purchaserof the vehicle for purposes other thanresale, within two weeks after pur-chase. Unless otherwise provided for bythe Administrator in the exemption,such notice shall provide the followinginformation:

(a) This vehicle does not conform toFederal Motor Vehicle Safety StandardNo. 208, because it is not equipped withan inflatable restraint at (insert the af-fected seating positions).

(b) The vehicle was allowed to be soldpursuant to NHTSA Exemption No. (in-sert appropriate exemption number).

(c) The reason this vehicle was ex-empted from the requirement for an in-flatable restraint was because of fac-tors beyond the manufacturer’s con-trol.

(d) The manufacturer will recall thisvehicle not later than (insert the timeset forth in the exemption) and installthe missing inflatable restraint at nocharge.

(e) If the reader has any questions orwould like some further information,he or she may contact the manufac-turer at (insert an address and tele-phone number).

S13. Alternative unbelted test for vehi-cles manufactured before September 1,2001.

S13.1 Instrumentation Impact Test—Part 1—Electronic Instrumentation.Under the applicable conditions of S8,mount the vehicle on a dynamic testplatform at the vehicle attitude setforth in S13.3, so that the longitudinalcenter line of the vehicle is parallel tothe direction of the test platform trav-el and so that movement between thebase of the vehicle and the test plat-form is prevented. The test platform isinstrumented with an accelerometerand data processing system having a


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frequency response of 60 channel classas specified in Society of AutomotiveEngineers (SAE) Recommended Prac-tice J211/1 MAR 95, Instrumentation forImpact Test—Part 1—Electronic Instru-mentation. SAE J211/1 MAR 95 is incor-porated by reference and thereby ismade part of this standard. The Direc-tor of the Federal Register approvedthe material incorporated by referencein accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1CFR part 51. A copy may be obtainedfrom SAE at Society of AutomotiveEngineers, Inc., 400 CommonwealthDrive, Warrendale, PA 15096. A copy ofthe material may be inspected atNHTSA’s Docket Section, 400 SeventhStreet, S.W., room 5109, Washington,DC, or at the Office of the Federal Reg-ister, 800 North Capitol Street, N.W.,Suite 700, Washington, DC. The acceler-ometer sensitive axis is parallel to thedirection of test platform travel. Thetest is conducted at a velocity changeapproximating 30 mph with accelera-tion of the test platform such that allpoints on the crash pulse curve withinthe corridor identified in Figure 6 arecovered. An inflatable restraint is to beactivated at 20 ms +/-2 ms from thetime that 0.5 g is measured on the dy-namic test platform. The test dummyspecified in S8.1.8.2, placed in eachfront outboard designated seating posi-tion as specified in S11, shall meet theinjury criteria of S6.1, S6.2, S6.3, S6.4,S6.5, and S13.2 of this standard.

S13.2 Neck injury criteria. A vehiclecertified to this alternative test re-quirement shall, in addition to meetingthe criteria specified in S13.1, meet thefollowing injury criteria for the neck,measured with the six axis load cell(ref. Denton drawing C–1709) that is

mounted between the bottom of theskull and the top of the neck as shownin drawing 78051–218, in the unbeltedsled test:

(a) Flexion Bending Moment—190Nm. SAE Class 600.

(b) Extension Bending Moment—57Nm. SAE Class 600.

(c) Axial Tension—3300 peak N. SAEClass 1000.

(d) Axial Compression—4000 peak N.SAE Class 1000.

(e) Fore-and-Aft Shear—3100 peak N.SAE Class 1000.

S13.3 Vehicle test attitude. When thevehicle is in its ‘‘as delivered’’ condi-tion, measure the angle between thedriver’s door sill and the horizontal.Mark where the angle is taken on thedoor sill. The ‘‘as delivered’’ conditionis the vehicle as received at the testsite, with 100 percent of all fluid capac-ities and all tires inflated to the manu-facturer’s specifications as listed onthe vehicle’s tire placard. When the ve-hicle is in its ‘‘fully loaded’’ condition,measure the angle between the driver’sdoor sill and the horizontal, at thesame place the ‘‘as delivered’’ anglewas measured. The ‘‘fully loaded’’ con-dition is the test vehicle loaded in ac-cordance with S8.1.1(a) or (b) of Stand-ard No. 208, as applicable. The loadplaced in the cargo area shall be cen-tered over the longitudinal centerlineof the vehicle. The pretest door sillangle, when the vehicle is on the sled,(measured at the same location as theas delivered and fully loaded condition)shall be equal to or between the as de-livered and fully loaded door sill anglemeasurements.

S13.4 Tires and wheels. Remove thetires and wheels.


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[36 FR 22902, Dec. 2, 1971]

EDITORIAL NOTE: For FEDERAL REGISTER ci-tations affecting § 571.208, see the List of CFRSections Affected in the Finding Aids sec-tion of this volume.

§ 571.209 Standard No. 209; Seat beltassemblies.

S1. Purpose and scope. This standardspecifies requirements for seat belt as-semblies.

S2. Application. This standard appliesto seat belt assemblies for use in pas-senger cars, multipurpose passenger ve-hicles, trucks, and buses.

S3. Definitions. Adjustment hardwaremeans any or all hardware designed foradjusting the size of a seat belt assem-bly to fit the user, including such hard-ware that may be integral with a buck-le, attachment hardware, or retractor.

Attachment hardware means any or allhardware designed for securing thewebbing of a seat belt assembly to amotor vehicle.

Automatic-locking retractor means aretractor incorporating adjustmenthardware by means of a positive self-locking mechanism which is capablewhen locked of withstanding restraintforces.

Buckle means a quick release connec-tor which fastens a person in a seatbelt assembly.

Emergency-locking retractor means aretractor incorporating adjustmenthardware by means of a locking mecha-nism that is activated by vehicle accel-eration, webbing movement relative tothe vehicle, or other automatic actionduring an emergency and is capablewhen locked of withstanding restraintforces.

Hardware means any metal or rigidplastic part of a seat belt assembly.

Load-limiter means a seat belt assem-bly component or feature that controlstension on the seat belt to modulatethe forces that are imparted to occu-pants restrained by the belt assemblyduring a crash.


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