NHTSA Interpretation File Search
Overview
NHTSA's Chief Counsel interprets the statutes that the agency administers and the standards and regulations that it issues. Members of the public may submit requests for interpretation, and the Chief Counsel will respond with a letter of interpretation. These interpretation letters look at the particular facts presented in the question and explain the agency’s opinion on how the law applies given those facts. These letters of interpretation are guidance documents. They do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. They are intended only to provide information to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.
Understanding NHTSA’s Online Interpretation Files
NHTSA makes its letters of interpretation available to the public on this webpage.
An interpretation letter represents the opinion of the Chief Counsel based on the facts of individual cases at the time the letter was written. While these letters may be helpful in determining how the agency might answer a question that another person has if that question is similar to a previously considered question, do not assume that a prior interpretation will necessarily apply to your situation.
- Your facts may be sufficiently different from those presented in prior interpretations, such that the agency's answer to you might be different from the answer in the prior interpretation letter;
- Your situation may be completely new to the agency and not addressed in an existing interpretation letter;
- The agency's safety standards or regulations may have changed since the prior interpretation letter was written so that the agency's prior interpretation no longer applies; or
- Some combination of the above, or other, factors.
Searching NHTSA’s Online Interpretation Files
Before beginning a search, it’s important to understand how this online search works. Below we provide some examples of searches you can run. In some cases, the search results may include words similar to what you searched because it utilizes a fuzzy search algorithm.
Single word search
Example: car
Result: Any document containing that word.
Multiple word search
Example: car seat requirements
Result: Any document containing any of these words.
Connector word search
Example: car AND seat AND requirements
Result: Any document containing all of these words.
Note: Search operators such as AND or OR must be in all capital letters.
Phrase in double quotes
Example: "headlamp function"
Result: Any document with that phrase.
Conjunctive search
Example: functionally AND minima
Result: Any document with both of those words.
Wildcard
Example: headl*
Result: Any document with a word beginning with those letters (e.g., headlamp, headlight, headlamps).
Example: no*compl*
Result: Any document beginning with the letters “no” followed by the letters “compl” (e.g., noncompliance, non-complying).
Not
Example: headlamp NOT crash
Result: Any document containing the word “headlamp” and not the word “crash.”
Complex searches
You can combine search operators to write more targeted searches.
Note: The database does not currently support phrase searches with wildcards (e.g., “make* inoperative”).
Example: Headl* AND (supplement* OR auxiliary OR impair*)
Result: Any document containing words that are variants of “headlamp” (headlamp, headlights, etc.) and also containing a variant of “supplement” (supplement, supplemental, etc.) or “impair” (impair, impairment, etc.) or the word “auxiliary.”
Search Tool
NHTSA's Interpretation Files Search
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ID: nht95-1.60OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 13, 1995 FROM: Philip R. Recht -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA TO: Gary Blouse -- V. P. Engineering, Fitting Image TITLE: None ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 8/26/94 LETTER FROM GARY BLOUSE TO OFFICE OF THE CHIEF CONSOLE, NHTSA (OCC 10315) TEXT: Dear Mr. Blouse: This responds to your letter asking about how this agency's regulations might apply to your product. I apologize for the delay in sending this letter. In your letter, you described your product as a bag holder for the interior of vehicles, designed to attach to the head restraint and hang on the back side of the front seats. Based on the illustration you provided, the bag holder appears to be a 12 inch flexible strap that attaches to the head restraint, with a "rigid plastic" hook at the end from whi ch plastic grocery bags are suspended. The short answer to your question is that, while there are no regulations that apply directly to your product, there are Federal requirements that may affect the sale of this product. I am enclosing a copy of a fact sheet titled "Information for New Man ufacturers of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment." By way of background information, NHTSA is authorized to issue Federal Motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS's) for new motor vehicles and new items of motor vehicle equipment. NHTSA's authority to issue these regulations is based on title 49, section 3 0102(7) of the U.S. Code (formerly the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act), the relevant part of which defines the term "motor vehicle equipment" as: (A) any system, part, or component of a motor vehicle as originally manufactured; (B) any similar part or component manufactured or sold for replacement or improvement of a system, part, or component or as any accessory, or addition to a motor vehicle . . . (emphasis added). Although you appear to recognize the applicability of our regulations, based on your characterization of your product as "after market equipment," allow me to explain how NHTSA determines whether an item of equipment is considered an accessory under the U.S. Code. The agency applies two criteria. The first criterion is whether a substantial portion of its expected uses are related to the operation or maintenance of motor vehicles. We determine a product's expected use by considering product advertisi ng, product labeling, and the type of store that retails the product, as well as available information about the actual use of the product. The second criterion is whether the product is purchased or otherwise acquired, and principally used, by ordinary users of motor vehicles. If the product satisfies both criteria, then the product is considered to be an "accessory" and thus subject to the provisions of the U.S. Code. Your bag holder appears to be an accessory and thus an item of motor vehicle equipment under our regulations. It appears to be designed specifically to fit in motor vehicles using the head restraints, meaning that a substantial portion of its expected u se relates to motor vehicle operation. The bag holder would typically be purchased and used by ordinary users of motor vehicles (i.e., anyone using the vehicle). While your bag holder is an item of motor vehicle equipment, NHTSA has not issued any standards for such an item. However, you as a manufacturer of motor vehicle equipment are subject to the requirements in sections 30118-30122 of Title 49 of the U.S. C ode concerning the recall and remedy of products with defects related to motor vehicle safety. In the event that the manufacturer or NHTSA determines that the product contains a safety related defect, the manufacturer would be responsible for notifying purchasers of the defective equipment and remedying the problem free of charge. Although no standards apply directly to the bag holder, there are other provisions of law that may affect the manufacture and sale of your product. NHTSA has issued a safety standard (Standard No. 201, Occupant protection in interior impact) that require s, among other things, that seat backs have a certain amount of cushioning to provide protection when struck by the head of rear seat passengers during a crash. Installation of your product on the back of front seats could have an impact on compliance w ith that standard. If your bag holder were installed so that a hard object (e.g., the rigid plastic hook) were to be struck by the occupant's head, the requisite amount of cushioning might not be achieved. We do not know how big or how "rigid" the hook is, but it is something of which you should be aware. Other legal requirements could apply depending on how your product is marketed. If your product were installed by a vehicle manufacturer as original equipment, the vehicle manufacturer would have to certify that the vehicle with the bag holder installed complies with all FMVSS's, including Standard No. 201. In addition, although we recognize it would be unlikely that your product would be installed by a motor vehicle manufacturer, distributor, dealer or repair business, section 30122(b) of title 49 pro hibits those commercial businesses from "knowingly mak[ing] inoperative any part of a device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle . . . in compliance with an applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standard . . ." For instance, complia nce with Standard No. 201 might be degraded if the bag holder were mounted in front of rear seat passengers. Any violation of this "make inoperative" prohibition would subject the violator to a potential civil penalty of up to $ 1,000 for each violation . The "make inoperative" prohibition does not apply to modifications that vehicle owners make to their own vehicles. Thus, Federal law would not apply in situations where individual vehicle owners install your bag holder in their own vehicles, even if the installation were to result in the vehicle no longer complying with the safety standards. However, NHTSA encourages vehicle owners not to degrade any safety device or system installed in their vehicles. In addition, individual States have the authorit y to regulate modifications that individual vehicle owners may make to their vehicles, so you might wish to consult State regulations to see whether your device would be permitted. I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions about NHTSA's safety standards, please feel free to contact Mr. Atelsek of my staff at this address or by telephone at (202) 366-2992. |
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ID: nht95-1.62OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 13, 1995 FROM: Philip R. Recht -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA TO: Scott E. Peters -- Director, Regulations & Compliance, U.S. Electricar TITLE: None ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 10/21/94 LETTER FROM SCOTT E. PETERS TO PHIL RECHT TEXT: This responds to your letter to me in which you asked whether Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, Tire selection and rims (49 CFR 571.110), applies to your Electricar sedan. You explained that your Electricar sedan (Electricar), a converted Geo Prizm, is being built under NHTSA Exemption No. 92-3 for low-emission vehicles. You stated that the Electricar's speed and endurance limitations are substantially below those of inte rnal combustion-powered vehicles. You further stated that it is your understanding that "the purpose of Standard No. 110, S4.4.2 (I assume you meant paragraph S4.2.2, since there is no S4.4.2 in the standard) is to ensure against tire failure due to pro longed operation at speeds in the range of 75 mph or higher." Thus, you interpret FMVSS No. 110 as not applying to the Electricar or other electric passenger cars "in which it is physically impossible to operate at high speeds for an extended duration." You asked this agency, therefore, to review paragraph S4.2.2 and provide you our opinion as to its applicability to your Electricar. As discussed below, the requirements of S4.2.2 are applicable to electric passenger cars. By way of background information, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues safety standards for motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. The agency does not provide approvals of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment. Instead, ma nufacturers are required to certify that their vehicles and equipment meet applicable safety standards. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110 specifies requirements for tire selection to prevent overloading. Section S2 of the standard provides that the standard applies to passenger cars. S4.2 of the standard specifies the following tire load limi ts: S4.2.1 The vehicle maximum load on the tire shall not be greater than the applicable maximum load rating as marked on the sidewall of the tire. S4.2.2 The vehicle normal load on the tire shall not be greater than the test load used in the high speed performance test specified in S5.5 of section 571.109 of that tire. The test load used in the high speed performance test specified in S5.5 of Standard No. 109 is 88 percent of the tire's maximum load rating as marked on the tire sidewall. With respect to your question whether S4.2.2 applies to electric passenger cars, the answer is yes. That section applies on its face to all passenger cars, and does not include an exception for electric passenger cars. Your understanding that the purpose of S4.2.2 is limited to ensuring against tire failure due to prolonged operation at speeds in the range of 75 mph or higher is incorrect. The reference in that requirement to Standard No. 109's high speed performance test is for the sole purpose of specifying a load and not to indicate that the requirement is limited to high speed operation. As indicated above, Standard No. 110 seeks to ensure that tires are not overloaded. One way Standard No. 110 does this is by requiring in S4.2.1 that the vehicle maximum load on the tire not exceed the maximum load rating of the tire. Another way Stand ard No. 110 does this is by limiting the vehicle normal load on the tire, so that the tire will have some reserve load carrying capacity available to handle safely cargo and other kinds of added loading the car may experience. S4.2.2 does this by limiti ng the normal load on a tire to 88 percent of the tire's maximum load rating, which ensures that 12 percent of the tire's load rating will be available to bear cargo and other added loads. I hope this information is helpful to you. Should you have any further questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact Walter Myers of my staff at this address or at (202) 366-2992. |
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ID: nht95-1.63OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 13, 1995 FROM: Philip R. Recht -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA TO: G. Brandt Taylor -- President, Day-Night Mirrors, Inc. TITLE: None ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 12/6/94 LETTER FROM G. BRANDT TAYLOR TO PHILIP R. RECHT (OCC 10553) TEXT: This responds to your letter asking about the requirements applicable to multiple reflectance mirrors in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111, Rear View Mirrors. You stated that your mirror can change its reflectivity either by mechanica lly rotating a shaft or by actuating an electrical motor. By way of background information, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has the authority to issue safety standards for new motor vehicles and new items of motor vehicle equipment. NHTSA does not, however, approve or certify any veh icles or items of equipment. Instead, each manufacturer is responsible for "self-certifying" that its products meet all applicable safety standards. The agency periodically tests vehicles and items of equipment for compliance with the standards. FMVSS No. 111 specifies requirements for the performance and location of rearview mirrors. Section S11, which specifies requirements for mirror construction, provides in relevant part that All single reflectance mirrors shall have an average reflectance of at least 35 percent. If a mirror is capable of multiple reflectance levels, the minimum reflectance level in the day mode shall be at least 35 percent and the minimum reflectance level in the night mode shall be at least 4 percent. A multiple reflectance mirror shall either be equipped with a means for the driver to adjust the mirror to a reflectance level of at least 35 percent in the event of electrical failure, or achieve such refl ectance automatically in the event of electrical failure. You asked several questions about the requirement for adjusting the mirror in the event of electrical failure. You first asked if a manual override knob could be removable. You then asked whether a removable manual override could be supplied by the car manufacturer along with the car keys or with the owner's manual for insertion into the mirror and use only in the event of an electrical failure. You also asked about whether "west coast" mirrors and mirrors on trailer trucks could have a removable man ual override. The answer to each of your questions is that a removable manual override knob would not be permitted. In the preamble to the final rule amending the mirror construction requirements in FMVSS No. 111, NHTSA stated that the agency's goal is to assure that multiple reflectance mirrors are capable of providing adequate images at all times during the vehicle's operation, including electrical failure situations where the mirror is unpowered. (see 56 FR 58513, November 20, 1991) The manual override knob you discuss would serve as the means for the driver to adjust the mirror's reflectance level. However, a removable manual override knob would not always serve this purpose, since it would not necessarily always be with the mirro r. We are concerned that a removable override device may become lost or otherwise not available when a mirror's reflectance needs to be adjusted. Accordingly, since the agency's goal of providing adequate images at all times during the vehicle's operat ion would only be achieved by requiring this device to be permanent, a removable override would not be permitted. I hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions, please contact Marvin Shaw of my staff at this address or by phone at (202) 366-2992. |
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ID: nht95-1.64OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 13, 1995 FROM: Philip R. Recht -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA TO: Ken Liebscher -- President/Director, Electric Car Company TITLE: None ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 1/16/95 LETTER FROM KEN LIEBSCHER TO NHTSA ADMINISTRATOR TEXT: We have reviewed your application of January 16, 1995, for temporary exemption of the M1-6 electric passenger car from six Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, on the basis that compliance would cause Electric Car Company ("Electric Car") substantial economic hardship. We need some additional information before we are able to consider the application further. A hardship applicant must provide corporate balance sheets and income statements for the three fiscal years preceding the filing of the application. You have filed statements for E.T.C. Industries and only for two years, those ending December 31, 1992, and December 31, 1993. This is acceptable since your submission indicates that E.T.C. Industries (apparently a Canadian corporation) is the parent of Electric Car (a Nevada corporation incorporated on November 24, 1993), and that "the consolidated finan cial statements [that you have provided us] include the accounts of Electric Car . . . ." We would like to have balance sheets and income statements for Electric Car for the year ending December 31, 1994, but if these are not yet available, we would be w illing to accept statements for E.T.C. Industries (or its predecessor Bradsue Resources, Ltd.) for the year ending December 31, 1991. If the information reflected in the financial statements is given in Canadian dollars, please provide a key indicating the value in American dollars on December 31 of each year for which the information is provided. In order to grant a hardship application, the Administrator must find that an applicant has tried to comply in good faith with each standard for which exemption is requested. Your application contains no information upon which the Administrator could ma ke such a finding with respect to any of the six standards for which you seek exemption. In spite of your confidence about the MI-6's performance in a 30 mph barrier impact, the fact that the MI-6 uses equipment installed in motor vehicles that are cert ified as meeting the Federal motor vehicle safety standards does not mean that the MI-6 will meet any of the six standards with the equipment installed. We therefore suggest that you supplement the application with information demonstrating that you hav e examined each of the six standards in some detail, and have made a study of possible compliance problems and possible solutions to them. It is permissible to ask to be excused from only a portion of a standard, and you may find, after studying your pr oblems, that you will be able to narrow your requests for exemption from Standards No. 201 and 208. We assume with respect to the latter that you are concerned with the airbag requirements. Although your letter speaks of "restraint systems", we would l ike your further identification of them as two-point (lap belt) or three-point (lap and shoulder belt) systems. Although you appear to be a manufacturer in the start-up stage and one whose total motor vehicle production in the year preceding the filing of the application was far less than 10,000, you have omitted to provide the number of motor vehicles that you pr oduced in 1994 which is information that we require. Please do so in your response to this letter. When we have received this information, we shall prepare a notice requesting public comment which will appear in the Federal Register. We shall notify you when the Administrator has made a decision. We expect this to be three to four months after we ha ve received your further submission. If you have any questions on our requirements, you may call Taylor Vinson of this Office (202-366-5263). |
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ID: nht95-1.65OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 14, 1995 FROM: Philip R. Recht -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA TO: David O'Neil -- Hehr International Inc. TITLE: None ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 12/6/94 LETTER FROM DAVID O'NEIL TO PHILIP R. RECHT (OCC 10574) TEXT: This responds to your inquiry about Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205, Glazing Materials, with respect to the labeling of glazing installed on transit buses. You stated that the passenger and driver side window glazing on certain transit bus es will be a glass-plastic composite consisting of 1/4 inch tempered glass with DuPont Spallshield 307 plastic laminated to the interior surface. You asked whether this glazing must be certified and marked as Item 15B/16B glazing or whether it is possib le to certify and mark the glazing as Item 2/3. You also asked whether taping the required cleaning instructions to the glazing satisfies the requirements of paragraph S5.1.2.10. Question One: Must the glazing be certified and marked as Item 15B/16B or is it possible to certify and mark the glazing as Item 2/3? The glazing described in your letter is tempered glass-plastic and therefore must be certified and marked as either Item 15B or 16B glazing. Item 2 and Item 3 glazing refers to glass, not glass-plastic glazing. It would be incorrect to certify and mark a glass-plastic item of glazing as glass. Question Two: Does a label containing all required instructions which is taped to the glazing satisfy the requirements of paragraph S5.1.2.10? Paragraph S5.1.2.10(a) states that Each manufacturer of glazing materials designed to meet the requirements of S5.1.2.1, S5.1.2.2, S5.1.2.3, S5.1.2.4, S5.1.2.5, S5.1.2.6, S5.1.2.7, or S5.1.2.8 shall affix a label, removable by hand without tools, to each item of such glazing material. Th e label shall identify the product involved, specify instructions and agents for cleaning the material that will minimize the loss of transparency, and instructions for removing frost and ice, and at the option of the manufacturer refer owners to the veh icle's Owners Manual for more specific cleaning and other instructions. S5.1.2.10(a) applies to your Item 15B/16B glazing since the glazing is required to comply with S5.1.2.6 or S5.1.2.8, S5.1.2.10(a) requires a manufacturer to "affix a label, removable by hand without tools . . . ." Taping the instructions to the glazing i s one way to affix a label to glazing that could be removed by hand without tools. Therefore, a manufacturer could comply with the requirements in S5.1.2.10(a) by taping the instructions to the glazing. I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to contact Marvin Shaw of my staff at this address or by telephone at (202) 366-2992 if you have any further questions or need additional information. |
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ID: nht95-1.66OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 14, 1995 FROM: Philip R. Recht -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA TO: Baysul Parker -- Manager, Safety Department, California Trucking Association TITLE: None ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 11/20/92 LETTER FROM PAUL JACKSON RICE TO J. LESLIE DOBSON, 7/1/92 LETTER FROM PAUL JACKSON RICE TO GENE FOUTS, 3/19/91 LETTER FROM PAUL JACKSON RICE TO JERRY TASSAN, 5/24/93 LETTER FROM JOHN WOMACK TO JOHN PAUL BARBER, AND 12/21/94 LETTER FROM BAYSUL PARKER TO PAUL JACKSON RICE (OCC 10622) TEXT: This responds to your letter of December 21, 1994, in which you state that you have received numerous inquiries regarding whether an alterer can change a vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) before the vehicle's first sale. You state that you hav e received similar inquiries concerning changes to the GVWR on used vehicles. You describe these inquiries as coming generally from owners of vehicles with a GVWR in excess of 26,000 pounds who wish to lower the GVWR so that these vehicles may be driven by operators who do not possess a commercial driver's license. From your review of regulations governing vehicle certification that have been issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), you express the understanding that only a vehicle manufacturer can assign a GVWR, but that either the manufacturer or "an alterer approved by NHTSA" can change the GVWR before the vehicle's first sale. This has led you to ask whether there is a list of NHTSA approved alterers. Under NHTSA's regulations on vehicle certification, found at 49 CFR Part 567, the manufacturer of a new motor vehicle is responsible for affixing a label to the vehicle that specifies, among other things, the vehicle's GVWR. Section 567.4(g)(3) of those regulations states that the GVWR assigned by the manufacturer "shall not be less than the sum of the unloaded vehicle weight, rated cargo load, and 150 pounds times the vehicle's designated seating capacity." NHTSA requires a vehicle's GVWR to be specif ied on the certification label to inform the vehicle's owners how heavily the vehicle may safely be loaded. NHTSA expects the GVWR to reflect a manufacturer's good-faith evaluation of the vehicle's size, weight, load carrying capacity, and intended use. Section 567.7 of NHTSA's certification regulations provides that if a vehicle is altered before its first purchase in such a manner that the vehicle's GVWR is different from that shown on the original certification label, the modified GVWR must be specif ied on the label that the alterer affixes to the vehicle. Contrary to your understanding, NHTSA does not approve vehicle alterers, and consequently maintains no list of such enterprises. You stated that you have received inquires concerning whether the GVWR of a used vehicle can be changed. As detailed in the certification regulations discussed above, a vehicle's GVWR is assigned by its manufacturer as part of the certification process. To avoid statutory violations, the manufacturer must complete the certification process before the vehicle is first sold to a consumer. The GVWR is therefore fixed prior to this first sale. The only exception to this is if the manufacturer seeks to c orrect an error (such as an error in calculation or a typographical error) in the originally assigned GVWR. NHTSA recognizes no other circumstances in which an originally assigned GVWR can be changed. The agency has stated on a number of occasions that modifications to assigned GVWRs should not be made for reasons relating to the GVWR threshold of the commerc ial driver's license program. This is reflected in the enclosed letters to J. Leslie Dobson, dated November 20, 1992, Gene Fouts, dated July 1, 1992, and Jerry Tassan, dated March 19, 1991. The commercial driver's licensing program is administered by t he Federal Highway Administration. If you have any further questions concerning licensing requirements for operators of commercial motor vehicles, you should contact Mr. James Scapellato, Director, Office of Motor Carrier Standards, HCS-1, Federal Highw ay Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions concerning NHTSA's certification regulations, feel free to contact Coleman Sachs of my staff at the above address, or by telephone at 202-366-5263. |
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ID: nht95-1.67OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 14, 1995 FROM: Tamera Reuvers -- Quality Assurance Manager, Viracon/Curvlite TO: Philip Recht -- Chief Council, NHTSA TITLE: NONE ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 4/10/95 LETTER FROM PHILIP RECHT TO TAMERA REUVERS (A43; STD. 205) TEXT: Mr. Recht, I am respectfully requesting an official ruling/interpretation of 49 CFR Ch. V (10-1-91 Edition) section 571.205 Standard No. 205, Glazing materials. The section in question is section S6. Certification and marking, S6.1 states "Each prime glazing mate rial manufacturer, except as specified below, shall mark the glazing materials it manufactures in accordance with section 6 of ANSI Z26. The material specified in S5.1.2.2 . . . . shall be identified by marks AS 11C, . . . . respectively. A prime glazi ng material manufacturer is one who fabricates, laminates, or tempers the glazing material." Below is our scenario: We purchase bent tempered product from fabricator "X", which is standard AS-2 designation material according to ANSI Z26. We laminate a piece of SentryGlas tm to the bent tempered product. This now will make the material an AS-15B designation according to ANSI Z26. My question is how should this product be properly marked. Should the primary tempered supplier, fabricator "X", have their marking (AS-2, model number and DOT number) on the product in addition to our marking (AS-15B, model number and Do t number)? I have never seen a piece of automotive glass with two markings on it. I understand, if we only put our designation on the product, we will be fully responsible for the product. Would it be appropriate to have both prime manufacturers markings on it? With any inquiries, please feel free to contact me. My hours are 7:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. My number is 800-533-0482 Ext. 373. Immediate attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated. |
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ID: nht95-1.68OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 14, 1995 FROM: Merridy Gottlieb TO: Mary Versailles, Office of Chief Counsel, NHTSA TITLE: NHTSB Letter of Exemption ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 4/25/95 LETTER FROM JOHN WOMACK TO MERRIDY R. GOTTLIEB (A43; STD. 207; STD. 208; VSA 108(A)(2)(A)) TEXT: Dear Ms. Versailles: Per our conversation today, I am requesting a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration letter of exemption for a modification to my 1995 Chrysler Concord. I am disabled and need 3-4" of additional room for the passenger seat to allow my legs to straighten on long trips. I have two replaced hips and arthritis in my knees. If I leave my legs slightly bent at the knees for long periods of time. I suffer too much pain to be active at the end of the drive. By allowing my legs to straighten all t he way out, there is no pain at all. Mr. Robert Kitts of Auto Access has agreed to make the slight modification if I can secure your letter of exemption. His service is not local, but he will make a trip to Baltimore for this purpose. Incidentally, the Automobile Accessibility hotline at Chrysler apparently does not know of your existence and was not aware of any exemptions that could be issued. After repeated phone calls, they said they could not help me and referred me to the Na tional Highway Traffic Safety Board hotline who was also unaware of any exemptions I could get. She was quite adamant that the design alteration would interfere with the functionality of the airbag and could not be done. When I again mentioned in closi ng that I was disabled and asked if anything at all could be done, referred me to "Ms. O'Neill" at the handicapped office in Washington. It turned out that she gave me the wrong name, but I did eventually find Ms. Dalrymple and she lead me to you. Plea se send a memo to the Chrysler Accessibility hotline supervisor and the NHTSB hotline operators informing them that you do exist for these types of problems. It may prevent someone less tenacious than me from giving up and accepting the many years of pa in. Thank you very much for your quick telephone response. Sincerely, |
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ID: nht95-1.69OpenTYPE: INTERPRETATION-NHTSA DATE: February 15, 1995 FROM: Tilman Spingler -- ROBERT BOSCH GMBH TO: Chief Counsel -- NHTSA TITLE: FMVSS 108, S.4 Definitions, bonded [Illegible Words] ATTACHMT: ATTACHED TO 3/8/95 LETTER FROM PHILIP R. RECHT TO TILMAN SPINGLER (REDBOOK 2; STD. 108) TEXT: Request for interpretation: Dear Chief Counsel, We ask you kindly to check if this proposal for a lens-reflector-joint can be considered as conforming to the appropriate definition in FMVSS 108. Thanks in advance for your efforts Best regards |
Request an Interpretation
You may email your request to Interpretations.NHTSA@dot.gov or send your request in hard copy to:
The Chief Counsel
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, W41-326
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
If you want to talk to someone at NHTSA about what a request for interpretation should include, call the Office of the Chief Counsel at 202-366-2992.
Please note that NHTSA’s response will be made available in this online database, and that the incoming interpretation request may also be made publicly available.