REGULATORY HISTORY OF AUTOMATIC CRASH PROTECTION IN FMVSS 208. IN: SEAT BELTS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY FEATURE

Abstract

This paper traces the evolution of the occupant protection requirements in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 from its beginning as a requirement for seatbelts to be installed in passenger cars to its current requirements that each passenger car provide an air bag and a manual lap/shoulder belt for the driver and right front passenger position beginning in the 1998 model year and that light trucks and vans provide similar protective equipment for the driver and passenger beginning in the 1999 model year. Also discussed and summarized are the various court cases that have challenged different aspects of the automatic crash protection requirements.