Interpretation ID: aiam2133
Director
United States Secret Service
1800 G Street
N.W.
Washington
DC 20226;
Dear Mr. Knight: This is in response to the November 19, 1975, request from the Secre Service for a description of the application of the Federal bumper standard (Standard No. 215, *Exterior Protection*) to vehicles whose bumper systems are modified.; Standard No. 215, the Federal motor vehicle safety standard tha applies to automobile bumpers, specifies performance requirements with which vehicles must comply. Full- sized passenger cars must be manufactured to withstand a series of longitudinal pendulum and barrier impacts at 5 mph front and rear and corner pendulum impacts at 3 mph front and rear without incurring damage to lighting, cooling, fuel, exhaust, propulsion, suspension, steering, or braking systems, or to doors or other closures.; If, after a vehicle has been purchased for purposes other than resale its owner decides to modify its bumper system, section 108(a) (2) (A) of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Pub. L. 89-563), as amended (Pub. L. 93-492), becomes applicable. Under that section manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and motor vehicle repair businesses are prohibited from knowingly rendering inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment in compliance with a safety standard. Modification of an automobile bumper that caused it no longer to comply with the requirements of Standard 215 in effect on the date of the vehicle's manufacture would be violative of section 108 if the modification was accomplished by one of the above-named persons.; If the bumper were modified by a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, o motor vehicle repair business in such a way that the bumper either continued to meet or exceeded the requirements of Standard No. 215, section 108 would not be violated. All that is necessary is that the bumper continue to be capable of satisfying the performance requirements contained in the Standard on the date of the vehicle's manufacture.; A bumper system that has been modified by a person (individual corporate, or organizational) other than a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or motor vehicle repair business, need not remain in compliance with the provisions of Standard No. 215.; Yours truly, Richard B. Dyson, Assistant Chief Counsel