Interpretation ID: nht75-5.12

DATE: 05/20/75

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; Richard B. Dyson; NHTSA

TO: Austrian Trade Delegation in the United States

TITLE: FMVSR INTERPRETATION

TEXT: This is in response to your letter of April 21, 1975, inquiring as to whether voltage regulators are of safety-related significance and therefore subject to the requirements of Public Law 93-492.

There are currently no motor vehicle safety standards regulating the performance of voltage regulators. However, under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act as amended (Pub. L. 93-492) the Secretary of Transportation is authorized to make a determination, in appropriate circumstances, that a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment contains a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety. If he finds that a safety-related defect exists, the manufacturer must notify purchasers of the hazard and recall and remedy the defective vehicles. Therefore, even though voltage regulators are not the subject of a safety standard, they still must be designed so as not to contain safety-related defects.

YOURS TRULY,

AUSTRIAN TRADE DELEGATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Richard D. Dyson Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations Office of the Chief Counsel National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

April 21, 1975

Subject: Interpretation of Public Law 93-492

On April 3, we wrote to you on behalf of the Austrian company Uher AG of Vienna, a manufacturer of electrical automobile components, regarding your opinion as to whether voltage regulators for automobiles are of safety related significance and would therefore be affected by the requirements of Public Law 93-492.

We would very much appreciate your comments on this subject and thank you in advance for your kind assistance.

Harald Klug Deputy Trade Delegate