New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 15 - Department of Motor Vehicles
Chapter I - REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER
Subchapter D - Equipment
Part 55 - Padded Equipment
Section 55.2 - Specifications and requirements for padded instrument panels

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024

When that area of the instrument panel that is within the head impact area is impacted by a 15-pound, 6.5 inch diameter head form at a relative velocity of 15 miles per hour, the deceleration of the head form shall not exceed 80g continuously for more than 3 milliseconds.

(a) Exceptions. This standard does not apply to:

(1) console assemblies;

(2) areas less than 5 inches inboard from the juncture of the instrument panel attachment to the body side inner structure;

(3) areas closer to the windshield juncture than those statically contactable by the head form with the windshield in place;

(4) areas outboard of any point of tangency on the instrument panel of a 6.5- inch diameter head form tangent to an inboard of a verticle longitudinal plane tangent to the inboard edge of the steering wheel; or

(5) areas below any point at which a vertical line is tangent to the rearmost surface of the panel.

(b) Demonstration procedures. Tests shall be performed as described in Society of Automotive Engineers recommended Practice J921, Instrument Panel Laboratory Impact Test Procedure, June 1965, using the specified instrumentation or instrumentation that meets the performance requirements specified in Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice J977, Instrumentation for Laboratory Impact Tests, November 1966, except that:

(1) the origin of the line tangent to the instrument panel surface shall be a point on a transverse horizontal line through a point 5 inches horizontally forward of the seating reference point of the front outboard passenger designated seating position, displaced vertically an amount equal to the rise which results from a 5-inch forward adjustment of the seat or 0.75 inches; and

(2) direction of impact shall be either:
(i) in a vertical plane parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis; or

(ii) in a plane normal to the surface at the point of contact.

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