Interpretation ID: nht78-1.10

DATE: 12/05/78

FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; J. Levin, Jr.; NHTSA

TO: Yankee Metal Products Corp.

TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION

TEXT: This is in response to your letter of September 18, 1978, requesting a clarification of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 101-80, Controls and Displays. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concurs in your interpretation of S5.3.1 that any hand operated control which is mounted on the steering column does not have to meet the illumination requirements of Column 4 of Table 1.

Sincerely,

ATTACH.

September 18, 1978

KATHLENE DEMETER -- OFFICE OF THE CHIEF COUNCIL, NHTSA/DOT

Dear Ms. DeMeter:

I have been referred to your office for clarification of paragraph 5.3.1 on page 27543, of FMVSS No. 101 -- Controls and Displays; Docket No. 1-18; notice 13; part 571. It is my interpretation of the first sentence of the above paragraph that a hand operated steering column mounted control does not have to comply with the illumination requirements of Column 4 of Table 1.

It is imperative that we receive your written reply to this interpretation as soon as possible, since it could affect the design of a turn signal/hazard warning switch which we are about to release for production.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely, YANKEE METAL PRODUCTS; Walter J. Kulpa