Interpretation ID: aiam2691
Jr.
House of Representatives
Washington
DC 20515;
Dear Mr. Fish: This is in response to your letter of August 24, 1977, forwardin correspondence from one of your constituents, Mr. Richard G. Castor, concerning an automobile accident in which he was involved.; Mr. Castor stated that he was involved in a 30 mph collision with pole, which caused considerable damage to his car. He suggested that a poorly designed bumper was responsible for the severity of the damage to his automobile.; The accident described by Mr. Castor occurred at a speed far above tha involved in the typical low speed 'fender bender' accident. If his 30 mph impact estimate is accurate it is remarkable that he was not injured and that the vehicle was capable of being repaired. No motor vehicle bumper of reasonable size and weight could possibly protect a vehicle from damage in such a high speed collision.; The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has had i effect since 1974 a safety standard that requires cars to be capable of sustaining 5 mph impacts, front and rear, without suffering damage to their various safety systems. That standard was promulgated pursuant to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (Pub. L. 89-563). The Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-513) directed the agency to promulgate a bumper standard that would reduce the costs to consumers occasioned by low-speed collisions. In response to that order, the NHTSA established a standard that would prohibit damage both to safety systems and to all other surface areas of vehicles involved in low-speed collisions.; Under that standard (49 CFR Part 581, *Bumper Standard*), effectiv September 1, 1978, cars will be permitted to sustain damage only to the bumper itself when subjected to 5 mph front and rear impacts. Thirty mile- per-hour protection was not envisioned by Congress and would so increase the cost and weight of a vehicle as to make its purchase and operation unfeasible.; Your constituent's comments are appreciated. Sincerely, Joan Claybrook