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Strengthening standards
The requirements promulgated under MVICS were consolidated with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 215 (FMVSS 215, “Exterior Protection of Vehicles”) and promulgated in March 1976. This new bumper standard was placed in the United States Code of Federal Regulations at 49CFR581, separate from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards at 49CFR571. The new requirements, applicable to 1979-model passenger cars, were called the Phase I standard. At the same time, a zero-damage requirement, Phase II, was enacted for bumper systems on 1980 and newer cars. The most rigorous requirements applied to 1980 through 1982 model vehicles; 5 miles per hour (8 km/h) front and rear barrier and pendulum crash tests were required, and no damage was allowed to the bumper beyond a 3⁄8 in (10 mm) dent and 3⁄4 in (19 mm) displacement from the bumper’s original position.
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First standards
In 1971, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the country’s first regulation applicable to passenger car bumpers. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 215 (FMVSS 215), “Exterior Protection,” took effect on 1 September 1972 — when most automakers would begin producing their model year 1973 vehicles. The standard prohibited functional damage to specified safety-related components such as headlamps and fuel system components when the vehicle is subjected to barrier crash tests at 5 miles per hour (8 km/h) for front and 2.5 miles per hour (4 km/h) for rear bumper systems. In October 1972, the U.S. Congress enacted the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Saving Act (MVICS), which required NHTSA to issue a bumper standard that yields the “maximum feasible reduction of cost to the public and to the consumer”. Factors considered included the costs and benefits of implementation, the standard’s effect on insurance costs and legal fees, savings in consumer time and inconvenience, and health and safety considerations.
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Canada’s bumper standard, first enacted at the same time as that of the United States, was generally similar to the U.S. regulation. However, the Canadian standard was not weakened from 8 km/h (5 mph) to 4 km/h (2.5 mph) in accord with the weakened U.S. standard of 1983. Some automakers chose to provide stronger Canadian-specification bumpers throughout the North American market, while others chose to provide weaker bumpers in the U.S. market, which hampered private importation of vehicles from the U.S. to Canada.
In early 2009, Canada’s regulation shifted to harmonize with U.S. Federal standards and international ECE regulations. Consumer groups are upset with the change, but Canadian regulators assert that the 4 km/h (2.5 mph) test speed is used worldwide and is more compatible with improved pedestrian protection in vehicle-pedestrian crashes.
