Regulations for car manufacturers

Why do we have only 3 major manufacturers of automobiles or vehicles in the United States?

Some thoughts to ponder.....

Perhaps it could the the litany of regulations that the government has applied to the manufacturers of vehicles in the USA. Someone starting from scratch would need an army of lawyers to wade through this stuff.

It almost seems that these regulations actually protect car manufacturers in the United States from home grown competition. Other than foreign car companies backed by hundreds of millions of dollars of capital (i.e. cash) or foreign government subsidies, a group of investors or car enthusiasts in the USA would pragmatically be forced to purchase major parts of vehicles from the 'Big Three' to avoid the research, development, and certification/testing costs associated with bring 'new' or 'virgin' vehicles built from the ground up into the general US marketplace.

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Source:

 http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/fmvss/index.html

FEDERAL
MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY STANDARDS
AND REGULATIONS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

SAFETY ASSURANCE

OFFICE OF VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLIANCE

400 7TH STREET, SW
ROOM 6111
MAIL CODE: NSA-30
WASHINGTON, DC 20590

FOREWORD

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a legislative mandate under Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety, to issue Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and Regulations to which manufacturers of motor vehicle and equipment items must conform and certify compliance. FMVSS 209 was the first standard to become effective on March 1, 1967. A number of FMVSS became effective for vehicles manufactured on and after January 1, 1968. Subsequently, other FMVSS have been issued. New standards and amendments to existing standards are published in the Federal Register.

These Federal safety standards are regulations written in terms of minimum safety performance requirements for motor vehicles or items of motor vehicle equipment. These requirements are specified in such a manner "that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of crashes occurring as a result of the design, construction, or performance of motor vehicles and is also protected against unreasonable risk of death or injury in the event crashes do occur."

This booklet lists the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in effect as of December 1998, and provides a brief description of each safety standard. It also provides a brief description of other Federal consumer information regulations and requirements.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC SEE THE WEBLINK ABOVE (There are HUNDREDS of regulations!) OR CONTACT THE FOLLOWING:

Procedures for declaring and certifying imported motor vehicles are covered in the publication Instruction Handbook for Complying with Regulations on Imports (Order number DOT HS 807 144). This publication is available through the U. S. Customs Service or from the:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance
Mail Code: NSA-32
400 Seventh Street, SW, Room 6111
Washington, DC 20590

The "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations" Brochure, HS 805 674, is available through the following NHTSA offices:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Planning and Consumer Programs
Mail Code: NPS-30
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590
or call:
DOT Auto Safety Hotline
1-888-DASH-2-DOT begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-888-DASH-2-DOT end_of_the_skype_highlighting(1-888-327-4236)

The complete text of all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and other NHTSA regulations can be found in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Title 49 of the CFR is published in seven volumes, the fifth volume (Parts 400-999) is where these regulations can be found. Copies of this volume can be obtained for a cost from -

U. S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents
Mail Stop: SSOP
Washington, DC 20402-9328.

DOT HS 808 878

REVISED MARCH 1999