The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are written in terms of what kind of safety performance requirements?

The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are established to ensure that vehicles meet essential safety performance requirements that protect the public. These standards are designed to set a baseline level of safety that every vehicle must achieve before it can be legally operated on public roads. By focusing on minimum safety performance requirements, the standards enable manufacturers to create vehicles that provide a fundamental level of safety for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

This approach ensures that all vehicles are held to a common standard, allowing for consistency across the automotive industry while also promoting competition and innovation among manufacturers. Beyond these minimum standards, some manufacturers may choose to design vehicles that surpass the basic safety requirements, introducing advanced technologies and features that enhance safety. Nonetheless, the critical aspect of the FMVSS is that they establish the minimum criteria that must be met to ensure public safety on the roadways.