Child safety and better seat belt standard (continued)

"Child safety seats and air bags: A word of caution"

"Rear-facing infant seats should not be used in the front seat of cars equipped with a passenger side air bag.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 'The safest position for any type of child seat is in the rear seat, even if a car is not equipped with a passenger-side air bag. This is particularly true when rear-facing infant safety seats are placed in a car with a passenger-side air bag because the child could be seriously injured if the air bag deploys. Rear-facing infant seats extend closer to the dashboard.'

'If it is absolutely necessary to place a child in the front with the driver, the passenger seat should be moved as far back as possible. This will maximize the distance between the dashboard and the child seat and lessen the possibility of injury. The child seat should not come in contact with the dashboard. While air bags are very effective and have already saved many lives, they are not compatible with rear-facing infant seats.'"

– CARS Foundation Press, Winter, 1992

 

"Movable belts a must for '98s"

"WASHINGTON – Adjustable lap and shoulder belts will be required on all new passenger vehicles beginning with the 1998 model year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced last week, [in response to a petition filed by the CARS Foundation and opposed by auto manufacturers.]

Improving the comfort and fit should encourage correct and more consistent use of belts, as we strive to meet our national goal of 75 percent belt usage," said Christopher Hart, acting NHTSA administrator. Safety-belt usage nationally is 66 percent, NHTSA estimates."

– Automotive News, August 8, 1994