The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an operating administration of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). NHTSA’s mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes. The agency develops, promotes, and implements effective educational, engineering and enforcement programs with the goal of ending preventable tragedies associated with vehicle use and highway travel.
As part of its mission to reduce fatalities and injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes, NHTSA promulgates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs). Manufacturers of motor vehicles and items of motor vehicle equipment are required to certify that each product they sell in the United States meets the requirements of all applicable FMVSS.
Under this compliance test program, NHTSA’s Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance (OVSC) will select vehicles and items of motor vehicle equipment for compliance testing. OVSC relies upon the data and analyses generated by the testing to support its investigation whether a vehicle manufacturer’s self-certification is valid.
The Government reserves the right, under this contract, to conduct any or all of these compliance tests in each year, in addition to other occupant protection related testing and analysis in the area of general traffic safety as needed.