49
Transportation
5
2004-10-01
2004-10-01
false

Standard No. 101; Controls and displays.
571.101

Section 571.101
Transportation
Other Regulations Relating To Transportation (Continued)
NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFICSAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENTOF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
§ 571.101
Standard No. 101; Controls and displays.
S1. Scope. This standard specifies requirements for the location, identification, and illumination of motor vehicle controls and displays.
S2. Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to ensure the accessibility and visibility of motor vehicle controls and displays and to facilitate their selection under daylight and nighttime conditions, in order to reduce the safety hazards caused by the diversion of the driver's attention from the driving task, and by mistakes in selecting controls.
S3. Application. This standard applies to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses.
S4. Definitions.
Telltale means a display that indicates the actuation of a device, a correct or defective functioning or condition, or a failure to function.
Gauge means a display that is listed in S5.1 or in Table 2 and is not a telltale.
S5 Requirements. Each passenger car, multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck and bus manufactured with any control listed in S5.1 or in column 1 of Table 1, and each passenger car, multipurpose passenger vehicle and truck or bus less than 4,536 kg. GVWR with any display listed in S5.1 or in column 1 of Table 2, shall meet the requirements of this standard for the location, identification, and illumination of such control or display.
S5.1 Location. Under the conditions of S6, each of the following controls that is furnished shall be operable by the driver and each of the following displays that is furnished shall be visible to the driver. Under the conditions of S6, telltales are considered visible when activated.

Hand-Operated Controls
(a) Steering wheel.
(b) Horn.
(c) Ignition.
(d) Headlamp.
(e) Taillamp.
(f) Turn signal.
(g) Illumination intensity.
(h) Windshield wiper.
(i) Windshield washer.
(j) Manual transmission shift lever, except transfer case.
(k) Windshield defrosting and defogging system.
(l) Rear window defrosting and defogging system.
(m) Manual choke.
(n) Driver's sun visor.
(o) Automatic vehicle speed system.
(p) Highbeam.
(q) Hazard warning signal.
(r) Clearance lamps.
(s) Hand throttle.
(t) Identification lamps.

Foot-Operated Controls
(a) Service brake.
(b) Accelerator.
(c) Clutch.
(d) Highbeam.
(e) Windshield washer.
(f) Windshield wiper.

Displays
(a) Speedometer.
(b) Turn signal.
(c) Gear position.
(d) Brake failure warning.
(e) Fuel.
(f) Engine coolant temperature.
(g) Oil.
(h) Highbeam.
(i) Electrical charge.
S5.2 Identification.
S5.2.1Vehicle controls shall be identified as follows:
(a) Except as specified in S5.2.1(b), any hand-operated control listed in column 1 of Table 1 that has a symbol designated for it in column 3 of that table shall be identified by either the symbol designated in column 3 (or symbol substantially similar in form to that shown in column 3) or the word or abbreviation shown in column 2 of that table. Any such control for which no symbol is shown in Table 1 shall be identified by the word or abbreviation shown in column 2. Words or symbols in addition to the required symbol, word or abbreviation may be used at the manufacturer's discretion for the purpose of clarity. Any such control for which column 2 of Table 1 and/or column 3 of Table 1 specifies “Mfr. Option” shall be identified by the manufacturer's choice of a symbol, word or abbreviation, as indicated by that specification in column 2 and/or column 3. The identification shall be placed on or adjacent to the control. The identification shall, under the conditions of S6, be visible to the driver and, except as provided in S5.2.1.1, S5.2.1.2, and S5.2.1.3, appear to the driver perceptually upright.
(b) S5.2.1(a) does not apply to a turn signal control which is operated in a plane essentially parallel to the face plane of the steering wheel in its normal driving position and which is located on the left side of the steering column so that it is the control on that side of the column nearest to the steering wheel face plane.
S5.2.1.1The identification of the following need not appear to the driver perceptually upright:
(a) A master lighting switch or headlamp and tail lamp control that adjusts control and display illumination by means of rotation, or any other rotating control that does not have an off position.
(b) A horn control.
S5.2.1.2The identification of a rotating control other than one described by S5.2.1.1 shall appear to the driver perceptually upright when the control is in the off position.
S5.2.1.3The identification of an automatic vehicle speed control located on the steering wheel, including the steering wheel hub and spokes, need not appear to the driver perceptually upright except when the vehicle, aligned to the manufacturer's specifications, has its wheels positioned for the vehicle to travel in a straight forward direction.
S5.2.2Identification shall be provided for each function of any automatic vehicle speed system control and any heating and air conditioning system control, and for the extreme positions of any such control that regulates a function over a quantitative range. If this identification is not specified in Table 1 or 2, it shall be in word or symbol form unless color coding is used. If color coding is used to identify the extreme positions of a temperature control, the hot extreme shall be identified by the color red and the cold extreme by the color blue.

Example 1.
A slide lever controls the temperature of the air in the vehicle heating system over a continuous range, from no heat to maximum heat. Since the control regulates a single function over a quantitative range, only the extreme positions require identification.

Example 2.
A switch has three positions, for heat, defrost, and air conditioning. Since each position regulates a different function, each position must be identified.
S5.2.3Any display located within the passenger compartment and listed in column 1 of Table 2 that has a symbol designated in column 4 of that table shall be identified by either the symbol designated in column 4 (or symbol substantially similar in form to that shown in column 4) or the word or abbreviation shown in column 3. Additional words or symbols may be used at the manufacturer's discretion for the purpose of clarity. Any telltales used in conjunction with a gauge need not be identified. The identification required or permitted by this section shall be placed on or adjacent to the display that it identifies. The identification of any display shall, under the conditions of S6, be visible to the driver and appear to the driver perceptually upright.
S5.3 Illumination.
S5.3.1Except for foot-operated controls or hand-operated controls mounted upon the floor, floor console, or steering column, or in the windshield header area, the identification required by S5.2.1 or S5.2.2 of any control listed in column 1 of Table 1 and accompanied by the word “yes” in the corresponding space in column 4 shall be capable of being illuminated whenever the headlights are activated. However, control identification for a heating and air-conditioning system need not be illuminated if the system does not direct air directly upon windshield. If a gauge is listed in column 1 of Table 2 and accompanied by the word “yes” in column 5, then the gauge and its identification required by S5.2.3 shall be illuminated whenever the ignition switch and/or the headlamps are activated. Controls, gauges, and their identifications need not be illuminated when the headlamps are being flashed. A telltale shall not emit light except when identifying the malfunction or vehicle condition for whose indication it is designed or during a bulb check upon vehicle starting.
S5.3.2.Each telltale shall be of the color shown in column 2 of Table 2. The identification of each telltale shall be in a color that contrasts with the background.
S5.3.3 (a) Means shall be provided for making controls, gauges, and the identification of those items visible to the driver under all driving conditions.
(b) The means for providing the required visibility—
(1) Shall be adjustable to provide at least two levels of brightness, one of which is barely discernible to a driver who has adapted to dark ambient roadway conditions.
(2) May be operable manually or automatically, and
(3) May have levels of brightness at which those items and identification are not visible.
(c) If the level of brightness is adjusted by automatic means to a point where those items or their identification are not visible to the driver, a means shall be provided to enable the driver to restore visibility.
S5.3.4(a) Means shall be provided that are capable of making telltales and their identification visible to the driver under all driving conditions.
(b) The means for providing the required visibility may be adjustable manually or automatically, except that the telltales and identification for brakes, highbeams, turn signals, and safety belts may not be adjustable under any driving condition to a level that is invisible.
S5.3.5Any source of illumination within the passenger compartment which is forward of a transverse vertical plane 110 mm rearward of the manikin “H” point with the driver's seat in its rearmost driving position, which is not used for the controls and displays regulated by this standard, which is not a telltale, and which is capable of being illuminated while the vehicle is in motion, shall have either (1) light intensity which is manually or automatically adjustable to provide at least two levels of brightness, (2) a single intensity that is barely discernible to a driver who has adapted to dark ambient roadway conditions, or (3) a means of being turned off. This requirement does not apply to buses that are normally operated with the passenger compartment illuminated.
S5.4A common space may be used to display messages from any sources, subject to the following requirements:
(a) The telltales for the brake, high beam, and turn signal, and the safety belt telltale required by S4.5.3.3 of Standard No. 208 may not be shown on the common space.
(b) Except as provided in S5.4(e), the telltales listed in Table 2 shall be displayed at the initiation of any underlying condition.
(c) When the underlying condition exists for actuation of two or more messages, the messages shall be either—
(1) Repeated automatically in sequence, or
(2) Indicated by visible means and capable of being selected by the driver for viewing.
(d) Messages may be cancellable automatically or by the driver.
(e) The safety belt telltale must be displayed and visible during the time specified in S7.3 of Standard No. 208.
S6. Conditions. The driver is restrained by the crash protection equipment installed in accordance with the requirements of § 571.208 of this part (Standard No. 208), adjusted in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
[43 FR 27542, June 26, 1978, as amended at 44 FR 55583, Sept. 27, 1979; 45 FR 71804, Oct. 30, 1980; 47 FR 2998, Jan. 21, 1982; 49 FR 30196, July 27, 1984; 50 FR 23431, June 4, 1985; 52 FR 3247, Feb. 3, 1987; 52 FR 7157, Mar. 9, 1987; 52 FR 19874, May 28, 1987; 52 FR 33417, Sept. 3, 1987; 56 FR 51848, Oct. 16, 1991; 60 FR 63977, Dec. 13, 1995; 62 FR 32542, 32543, June 16, 1997; 63 FR 28926, May 27, 1998; 63 FR 50997, Sept. 24, 1998; 65 FR 30916, May 15, 2000; 65 FR 30916, May 15, 2000; 67 FR 38743, June 5, 2002; 68 FR 65406, Nov. 20, 2003]