[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR571.204]

[Page 465-466]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                            OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 571--FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
            Subpart B--Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
 
Sec. 571.204  Standard No. 204; Steering control rearward displacement.

    S1. Purpose and scope. This standard specifies requirements limiting 
the rearward displacement of the steering control into the passenger 
compartment to reduce the likelihood of chest, neck, or head injury.
    S2. Application. This standard applies to passenger cars and to 
multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses. However, it does not 
apply to walk-in vans.
    S3. Definitions.

[[Page 466]]

    Steering column means a structural housing that surrounds a steering 
shaft.
    Steering shaft means a component that transmits steering torque from 
the steering wheel to the steering gear.
    S4  Requirements.
    S4.1  Vehicles manufactured before September 1, 1991. When a 
passenger car or a truck, bus, or multipurpose passenger vehicle with a 
gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less and an unloaded 
vehicle weight of 4,000 pounds or less is tested under the conditions of 
S5 in a 30 mile per hour perpendicular impact into a fixed collision 
barrier, the upper end of the steering column and shaft in the vehicle 
shall not be displaced more than 5 inches in a horizontal rearward 
direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The amount 
of displacement shall be measured relative to an undisturbed point on 
the vehicle and shall represent the maximum dynamic movement of the 
upper end of the steering column and shaft during the crash test.
    S4.2 Vehicles manufactured on or after September 1, 1991. When a 
passenger car or a truck, bus or multipurpose passenger vehicle with a 
gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg or less and an unloaded vehicle 
weight of 2,495 kg or less is tested under the conditions of S5 in a 48 
km/h perpendicular impact into a fixed collision barrier, the upper end 
of the steering column and shaft in the vehicle shall not be displaced 
more than 127 mm in a horizontal rearward direction parallel to the 
longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The amount of displacement shall be 
measured relative to an undisturbed point on the vehicle and shall 
represent the maximum dynamic movement of the upper end of the steering 
column and shaft during the crash test.
    S5.  Test conditions. The requirements of S4 shall be met when the 
vehicle is tested in accordance with the following conditions.
    S5.1  The vehicle, including test devices and instrumentation, is 
loaded to its unloaded vehicle weight.
    S5.2  Adjustable steering controls are adjusted so that a tilting 
steering wheel hub is at the geometric center of the locus it describes 
when it is moved through its full range of driving positions. A 
telescoping steering control is set at the adjustment position midway 
between the forwardmost and rearwardmost position.
    S5.3  Convertibles and open-body type vehicles have the top, if any, 
in place in the closed passenger compartment configuration.
    S5.4  Doors are fully closed and latched but not locked.
    S5.5  The fuel tank is filled to any level from 90 to 95 percent of 
capacity.
    S5.6  The parking brake is disengaged and the transmission is in 
neutral.
    S5.7  Tires are inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's 
specifications.

[52 FR 44897, Nov. 23, 1987, as amended at 63 FR 28935, May 27, 1998; 63 
FR 51003, Sept. 24, 1998]