Revision as of 19:15, 8 May 2023

Datsun 1200 sold in the U.S.A. were subject to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Datsun 1200s sold in Canada had to meet the equivalent standards of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) which are for the most part the same. These rules can explain in part why 1200s sold in North America differ from those sold in other markets.

1 Overview
2 Certification
3 Crash Avoidance
4 Crashworthiness
5 Lighting
6 Bumpers
7 Post Crash
8 Other Regulations
9 Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Saving Act

Overview

These standards are administered by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

FMVSS is still in effect. If you try to import a car into the USA, it must meet the standards in effect at the year of manufacture. However, cars over 25 years old can be granted a waiver from meeting the standards.

For the official word, see http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FMVSS/index.html

Following is a partial description of some Standards.

Certification

Certification Regulation

Aug 31, 1969 build date tag
Jan 1, 1972 GVWR required

Part 567 - Certification Regulation (Effective 8-31-69) This part specifies the content and location of and other requirements for the label or tag to be affixed to motor vehicles and items of motor vehicle equipment manufactured after August 31, 1969. This certificate will provide the consumer with information to assist him or her in determining which of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are applicable to the vehicle or item of vehicle equipment, and its date of manufacture.

An amendment effective January 1, 1972, required gross vehicle weight (GVWR) information on the certification label.

Crash Avoidance

68-01 Standard No. 101 Controls and Displays
- essential controls be located within reach of the driver when the driver is restrained by a lap belt and upper torso restraint, and that certain controls mounted on the instrument panel be identified
72-01 Standard No. 101 Controls and Displays
- All manually operated controls must be identified by words
72-09 Standard No. 101 Controls and Displays
- identification of essential controls and displays must be illuminated whenever the headlamps are lit (Except for foot-operated controls or manually operated controls mounted on the steering column)
68-01 Standard No. 102 Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect
Standard No. 103 Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems
Standard No. 104 Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems
68-01 Standard No. 105 Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems
68-01 Standard No. 106 Brake Hoses performance and labeling
69-01 Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment
68-01 Standard No. 109 New Pneumatic Tires for Passenger Cars
- the famous "DOT" approved tire standard
68-04 Standard No. 110 Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars
- include placard requirements
68-01 Standard No. 111 Rearview Mirrors
69-01 Standard No. 113 Hood Latch System
- requires double-latch for the hood
70-01 Standard No. 114 Theft Protection
68-01 Standard No. 116 Motor Vehicle Brake Fluids
73-01 Standard No. 124 Accelerator Control Systems
- requires the return of a vehicle's throttle to the idle position
74-01 Standard No. 125 Warning Devices

Crashworthiness

68-01 No. 201 Occupant Protection in Interior Impact
- requirements for instrument panels, seat backs, sun visors, and arm rests. interior compartment doors are required to remain closed during a crash
69-01 No. 202 Head Restraint
68-01 No. 203 Impact Protection for the Driver from the Steering Control System
- All american Datsun 1200s are fitted with collapsing steering column
68-01 No. 204 Steering Control Rearward Displacement
68-01 No. 205 Glazing Materials
68-01 No. 206 Door Locks and Door Retention Components
68-01 No. 207 Seating Systems
68-01 No. 208 Occupant Crash Protection (seat belts)
- requires Lap (or lap and shoulder) seat belt assemblies for each designated seating position
72-01 No. 208
- requires one of the following:
  1. complete passive protection system, or
  2. Lap belts, belts warning and meeting 48 km/h (30 mph) crash test requirements, or
  3. Lap or lap and shoulder belts, seat belt warning; outboard seats shall have a single-point pushbutton release and emergency-locking or automatic-locking seat belt retractors
73-01 No. 208 same as above except upper torso restraints shall have an emergency-locking retractor
67-03 No. 209 Seat Belt Assemblies
68-01 No. 210 Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages
70-01 No. 212 Windshield Mounting
71-04 No. 213 Child Restraint Systems
73-01 No. 214 Side Impact Protection
- Vehicle doors must provide resistance to load applied via a rigid steel cylinder
No. 215 #Bumpers Exterior Protection, Passenger Cars

Lighting

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108ᵂ

Prior to 1968, cars did not have side marker lamps, which made them difficult to see (from the side) at night.

After January 1, 1970 cars had to have lamps for both front and rear Side Lamps.
Beginning with the 1970 model year, FMVSS 108 required a red rear and amber front side marker
The total area of illumination per SAE Standards
CHMSL 1986

Bumpers

The mandate that created the "park-bench" bumpers were not about safety, but part of the Cost Saving Act. The idea was to reduce the cost of repair of minor accidents (below 5 mph).

No. 215

215(a) the initial 1973 regulations that required compliance with a barrier test
215(b) regulations after 1974 that required both a pendulum and an upgraded barrier test
215(c) regulations after 1978 that limited total vehicular damage as a result of the pendulum and barrier tests.

quote Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 215, "Exterior Protection," was initially effective on September 1, 1972, and imposed requirements which prohibited damage to specified safety-related components such as headlamps and fuel systems in a series of perpendicular barrier impacts, at 5 mph for front and 2.5 mph for rear bumper systems.

1973, thus last-year B110s had larger bumpers -- see 1973 USA Bumpers. NOTE: USA Model year traditionally starts September/October, so an effective date of 1 Sep 1972 effectively covered all 1973 Datsun 1200s
1974 faced upgraded test. So Nissan USA fitted the large bumpers to the B210. No small bumpers were ever fitted.

Unfortunately the bumper mandate was a failure...

quote In order to reduce car repair costs for consumers, damage resistance tests were established for bumpers in model year 1973 and upgraded in 1974 and 1979. The bumper standards did not significantly change net costs for consumers: the savings in repair costs over the lifetime of the car are almost equal to the increase in the initial cost of the bumpers.

NHTSA Publication DOT HS 805 866

Post Crash

68-01 No. 301 Fuel System Integrity
72-09 No. 302 Flammability of Interior Materials

Other Regulations

72-02-01 Part 566 - Manufacturer Identification
- requires manufacturers of motor vehicles to submit identifying information and descriptions of the items they produce to the Department of Transportation (standard VIN was not required until 1983)
69-08-31 Part 567 - Certification Regulation
- label to be affixed to motor vehicles manufactured after August 31, 1969
72-01-01 Part 567 - Certification Regulation
- required gross vehicle weight (GVWR) information on the certification label
73-09-26 Part 570 - Vehicle-In-Use Inspection Standards
71-10-01 Part 573 - Defect and Noncompliance Reports
- reporting safety-related defects, maintaining owner lists, etc
71-01-01 Part 575 - Consumer Information Regulations

Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Saving Act

15 USC 1901

Pub.L.92-513,. the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, amended 1972 and possibly other dates

15 USC SUBCHAPTER I - BUMPER STANDARDS
limit on damages to victims of odometer fraud

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FMVSS