[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: 49CFR581.5]

[Page 951-952]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                            OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 581--BUMPER STANDARD--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 581.5  Requirements.

    (a) Each vehicle shall meet the damage criteria of Secs. 581.5(c)(1) 
through 581.5(c)(9) when impacted by a pendulum-type test device in 
accordance with the procedures of Sec. 581.7(b), under the conditions of 
Sec. 581.6, at an impact speed of 1.5 m.p.h., and when impacted by a 
pendulum-type test device in accordance with the procedures of 
Sec. 581.7(a) at 2.5 m.p.h., followed by an impact into a fixed 
collision barrier that is perpendicular to the line of travel of the 
vehicle, while traveling longitudinally forward, then longitudinally 
rearward, under the conditions of Sec. 581.6, at 2.5 m.p.h.
    (b) [Reserved]
    (c) Protective criteria. (1) Each lamp or reflective device except 
license plate lamps shall be free of cracks and shall comply with 
applicable visibility requirements of S5.3.1.1 of Standard No. 108 
(Sec. 571.108 of this chapter). The aim of each headlamp installed on 
the vehicle shall be adjustable to within the beam aim inspection limits 
specified in Table 1 of SAE Recommended Practice J599 AUG97, measured 
with the aiming method appropriate for that headlamp.
    (2) The vehicle's hood, trunk, and doors shall operate in the normal 
manner.
    (3) The vehicle's fuel and cooling systems shall have no leaks or 
constricted fluid passages and all sealing devices and caps shall 
operate in the normal manner.
    (4) The vehicle's exhaust system shall have no leaks or 
constrictions.
    (5) The vehicle's propulsion, suspension, steering, and braking 
systems shall remain in adjustment and shall operate in the normal 
manner.
    (6) A pressure vessel used to absorb impact energy in an exterior 
protection system by the accumulation of gas pressure or hydraulic 
pressure shall not suffer loss of gas or fluid accompanied by separation 
of fragments from the vessel.
    (7) The vehicle shall not touch the test device, except on the 
impact ridge shown in Figures 1 and 2, with a force

[[Page 952]]

that exceeds 2000 pounds on the combined surfaces of Planes A and B of 
the test device.
    (8) The exterior surfaces shall have no separations of surface 
materials, paint, polymeric coatings, or other covering materials from 
the surface to which they are bonded, and no permanent deviations from 
their original contours 30 minutes after completion of each pendulum and 
barrier impact, except where such damage occurs to the bumper face bar 
and the components and associated fasteners that directly attach the 
bumper face bar to the chassis frame.
    (9) Except as provided in Sec. 581.5(c)(8), there shall be no 
breakage or release of fasteners or joints.

[42 FR 24059, May 12, 1977, as amended at 42 FR 38909, Aug. 1, 1977; 43 
FR 40231, Sept. 11, 1978; 47 FR 21837, May 20, 1982; 64 FR 16360, Apr. 
5, 1999; 64 FR 49092, Sept. 10, 1999]