Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages

This document responds to a petition from Volvo Cars of North America (Volvo), by amending the seat belt anchorage strength requirements of FMVSS No. 210, ``Seat belt assembly anchorages,'' to require the anchorages of all lap/shoulder belts to meet a 6,000 pound strength requirement, regardless of whether a manufacturer has the option of installing a lap belt or a lap/shoulder belt at that seating position. Two different requirements existed for testing the anchorages of lap/shoulder belts. One requirement, applicable to lap/shoulder belts installed at locations where manufacturers did not have the option of installing any other type of belt, called for all three anchorages of a lap/shoulder belt to withstand a 6,000 pound strength test. The second requirement, applicable to lap/shoulder belts installed at locations where a manufacturer could install either a lap belt or a lap/shoulder belt, required the anchorages of the lap portions of a lap/shoulder belt to withstand the 5,000 pound strength test applied to lap belts. The adoption of this new certification requirement allows manufacturers to test all lap/shoulder belts alike, i.e. according to the 6,000 pound strength test appropriate for lap/ shoulder belts, and no longer need also test the anchorages for the lap belt portion to the 5,000 pound test used for belts consisting of just a lap belt.