Which United States government agency sets federal motor vehicle safety standards?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sets federal motor vehicle safety standards in the United States.

Usually called NHTSA, the agency is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It writes and enforces the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, or FMVSS, which specify requirements for vehicle design, construction, performance, and safety equipment.

NHTSA’s responsibilities extend beyond writing rules. It conducts or oversees safety investigations, administers vehicle and equipment recalls, operates vehicle-safety information programs, collects crash data, and runs the New Car Assessment Program’s consumer-oriented crash ratings. The Department of Transportation is the parent department, not the specific agency that develops the standards.

The federal safety-standard system grew from the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. Congress created NHTSA in 1970, bringing together predecessor agencies. Individual standards are identified by numbers—for example, FMVSS 208 covers occupant crash protection, including frontal crash protection and airbags.