S9TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION

S. 3005

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 27, 1966

Referred to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce

AN ACT

To provide for a coordinated national safety program and establishment of safety standards for motor vehicles in interstate commerce to reduce accidents involving motor vehicles and to reduce the deaths and injuries occurring in such accidents. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That this Act may be cited as the "Traffic Safety Act of 4 1966"

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

SEC. 2. The Congress hereby declares that the purpose 7 of this Act is to reduce accidents involving motor vehicles 8 and to reduce the deaths and injuries occurring in such acci

9 dents. To this end, the Secretary of Commerce saan have

1 authority to establish motor vehicle safety standards for motor 2 vehicles and motor vehicle equipment in interstate commerce; 3 and to undertake and support necessary safety research, 4 development and evaluation.

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SEC. 101. As used in this title

(a) "Motor vehicle safety" means the performance of 10 motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment in such a manner 11 that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of acci12 dents occurring as a result of the design or construction of 13 motor vehicles and is also protected against unreasonable risk 14 of death or injury to persons in the event accidents do occur, 15 and includes nonoperational safety of such vehicles. 16 (b) "Motor vehicle safety standards" means a minimum standard for motor vehicle performance, or motor 18 vehicle equipment performance, which is practicable, which meets the need for motor vehicle safety and which provides 20 objective criteria.

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21 (c) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle driven or 22 drawn by mechanical power primarily for use on the 23 public roads, streets, and highways, other than (1) a 24 vehicle subject to safety regulations under part II of the 25 Interstate Commerce Act, as amended (49 U.S.C. 301

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et seq.), or under the Transportation of Explosives Act as

amended (18 U.S.C. 831-835), and (2) a vehicle or

car operated exclusively on a rail or rails.

(d) "Motor vehicle equipment" means any system, part, or component of a motor vehicle as originally manufactured

or any similar part or component manufactured or sold for 7 replacement or improvement of such system, part, or com8 ponent or as an accessory, or addition to the motor vehicle. 9 (e) "Manufacturer" means any person engaged in the 10 manufacturing or assembling of motor vehicles or motor vehi11 ele equipment, including any person importing motor ve12 hicles or motor vehicle equipment for resale.

(f) "Distributor" means any person engaged in the sale and distribution of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment for resale.

(g) "Dealer" means any person who is engaged in the sale and distribution of new motor vehicles or motor vehicle 18 equipment primarily to purchasers who in good faith pur19 chase any such vehicle or equipment for purposes other than 20 resale.

(h) "State" includes each of the several States, the Dis92 trict of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, 23 the Virgin Islands, the Canal Zone, and American Samoa. (i) "Interstate commerce" means commerce between

1 any place in a State and any place in another State, or be

2 tween places in the same State through another. State.

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(j) "Secretary" means Secretary of Commerce.

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(k) "Person" means an individual, partnership, cor5 poration, association, or other form of business enterprise. 6 (1) "Defect" includes any defect in design, construction, 7 components, or materials in motor vehicles or motor vehicle 8 equipment.

9 (m) "United States district courts" means the Federal 10 district courts of the United States and the United States 11 courts of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the 12 Virgin Islands, the Canal Zone, and American Samoa. 13 (n) "Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission" means 14 the Commission established pursuant to the joint resolution 15 of the Congress relating to highway traffic safety, approved 16 August 20, 1958 (72 Stat. 635), or as it may be hereafter 17 reconstituted by law.

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INTERIM FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS

SEC. 102. (a) Subject to the provisions of this section,

on or before January 31, 1967, the Secretary shall prescribe, 21 by order, and publish in the Federal Register interim motor 22 vehicle safety standards for motor vehicles and motor vehicle 23 equipment, which shall be based upon existing public and pri24 vate safety standards.

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(b) Interim standards prescribed pursuant to this sec

1 tion shall become effective on a date specified by the Secretary 2 which shall be no sooner than one hundred and eighty days 3 nor later than one year from the date on which such stand4 ards are published. Such standards shall remain in effect 5 until new and revised Federal motor vehicle safety standards 6 become effective pursuant to section 103.

7 (e) In prescribing interim standards under this section. 8 the Secretary shall

(1) consult with the Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission, with other State and interstate agencies (including legislative committees), with motor vehicle and motor vehicle equipment manufacturers, and with scientific, technical, business, and consumer organizations, as he deems appropriate:

(2) consider, in the light of available technical information. whether any such proposed standard is reasonable, practicable, and appropriate for the partien

lar type of motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment for which it is prescribed; and

(3) consider the extent to which such standards will contribute to carrying out the purposes of this Act.

REVISED FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS

SEC. 103. (a) Subject to the provisions of this section. on or before January 31. 1968, the Secretary shall pre25 scribe, by order, in accordance with sections 3, 4, and 6 of