Interpretation ID: aiam2820
Minnesota Claims Services
402 South Cedar Lake Road
Minneapolis
Minnesota 55405;
Dear Mr. Parsil: This responds to your inquiry concerning the steering wheel system on 1972 Plymouth Cricket. You ask whether Federal safety standards permitted non-collapsible steering columns on that vehicle model, whether the steering columns met all safety standards, and whether the vehicle manufacturer was exempted from Federal safety standards on the 1972 Plymouth Cricket because of hardship.; Federal Motor Vehicle SAfety Standard No. 203, *Impact Protection fo the Driver from the Steering Control System* (49 CFR 571.203), became effective for all passenger cars manufactured on or after January 1, 1968. Therefore, a 1972 Plymouth Cricket had to meet the performance requirements specified in that standard. I am enclosing a copy of Standard No. 203 for your information, and you should note that the standard does not specifically require 'collapsible steering columns. Rather, the standard limits the force loads that can be imparted by the steering column during a dynamic impact test.; Under Federal motor vehicle safety regulations, manufacturers ar required to determine for themselves that their vehicles are in compliance and to certify the vehicles as being in compliance. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration only conducts compliance tests on a 'spot-check' basis for purposes of enforcement. Therefore, I cannot tell you whether the particular Plymouth with which you are interested was in fact in compliance with all safety standards. I can tell you that the agency has not made any determinations that the 1972 Plymouth Crickets failed to comply with Safety Standard No. 203.; Regarding your final question, no exemption from Standard No. 203 wa granted for the 1972 Plymouth Cricket.; please contact this office if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Joseph J. Levin, Jr., Chief Counsel