Interpretation ID: nht73-5.50

DATE: 12/20/73

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; E. T. Driver; NHTSA

TO: Jerry Van Dyke

TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION

TEXT: This is to confirm the telephone conversation between you and Mr. Douglas Pritchard of my office concerning cruise control devices for mobile homes. As Mr. Pritchard advised you, Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 124, Accelerator Control Systems, does not preclude the use of cruise control units. While Standard No. 124 requires that the accelerator control device return to "idle" when the operator removes his foot from the accelerator or when the system itself fails, the term "idle position" is defined in Section 4.1 of the Standard to include the position set by a throttle setting device. As is stated in the Preamble to the Standard:

"The rule does not contain requirements for automatic speed control devices. It was found that although nine recall campaigns involving 61,176 vehicles have concerned these devices, no relationship to accelerator overspeed accidents could be established from automatic speed controls. Of the 540 multidisiplinary accident reports that were studied in formulating the final rule, none mentioned the automatic system."

I trust this information will be useful to you.