Transport i bezpieczeństwo · 4.01.2001

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Head Restraints

Consistent with this agency's policy of seeking to adopt those regulatory requirements that produce the highest benefits at reasonable costs, this document proposes to upgrade the standard for head restraints for passenger cars and for light multipurpose vehicles, trucks and buses. The proposal would establish higher minimum height requirements for head restraints, and add a requirement limiting backset, i.e., the distance between a person's head and his or her head restraint. The proposal would also extend the requirement for head restraints to rear outboard designated seating positions; establish new strength requirements for head restraints; and place limits on the size of gaps and openings in head restraints. In addition, it would modify the dynamic compliance test and amend test procedures. The proposal would harmonize the standard with the counterpart regulation of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) to an extent, but would set different requirements for head restraint width and gap measurement for adjustable restraints. Further, it would add two requirements not found in the ECE regulation, i.e., one for backset and one for adjustment retention locks. The goal of these