US Automotive Legislation

Within the United States, all new cars are subject to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). These are issued, amended and enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The first FMVSS was issued in 1967 and related to seat belts. Since then they have drafted legislation covering most aspects of vehicle manufacture, predominantly from a safety perspective.

Legislation governing fuel economy and emissions is jointly regulated by the NHTSA and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) through the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) system.

The NHTSA administers the following laws relevant to automotive design:

Motor Vehicle Safety

Highway Safety

PART C – Information, Standards, and Requirements

All of these laws form part of the Title 49 US Code. They are documented in Subtitle VI – Motor Vehicle and Driver Programs, broken down as follows:

• Part A: General
  
  Chapter 301 Motor Vehicle Safety
  
  Chapter 303 National Driver Register
  
  Chapter 305 National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
  
  
  

• Part B: Commercial
  
  Chapter 311 Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
  
  Chapter 313 Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators
  
  Chapter 315 Motor Carrier Safety
  
  Chapter 317 Participation in International Registration Plan and International Fuel Tax Agreement
  
  
  

• Part C: Information, Standards and Requirements
  
  
  
  Chapter 321 General
  
  Chapter 323 Consumer Information
  
  Chapter 325 Bumper Standards
  
  Chapter 327 Odeometers
  
  Chapter 329 Automobile Fuel Economy
  
  Chapter 331 Theft Prevention

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations