View all text of Part 581 [§ 581.1 - § 581.8]

§ 581.5 - Requirements.

(a) Each vehicle shall meet the damage criteria of §§ 581.5(c)(1) through 581.5(c)(9) when impacted by a pendulum-type test device in accordance with the procedures of § 581.7(b), under the conditions of § 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 § 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 § 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 (§ 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 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 § 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]