Child Safety and a better seat belt standard (continued)

NHTSA Will Not Mandate Adjustable Devices for Shoulder Belts, Yet Supports Their Use

The CARS Foundation petitioned NHTSA on April 27, 1990, to require adjustable upper anchorages for the shoulder portion of safety belts in passenger cars, light trucks, small buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles. The devices allow a belt user to adjust the position of the shoulder belt to ensure the most comfortable fit. The petition contended that improving comfort would increase seat belt use among children and smaller adults, who often complain about seat belt discomfort.

Supporters of the petition included the National Transportation Safety Board, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, SafetyBeltSafe USA, and the Coalition for Consumer Health and Safety, all of whom submitted written statements to NHTSA.

NHTSA denied the petition because it said there is no clear evidence that requiring the devices would result in a significant safety benefit.

ŒOur major concern is that the ruling ignored children,' Shahan said. The decision completely ignored the people we are most concerned about by only focusing on adults over age 20.'

At a minimum, NHTSA said requiring the anchorages would cost an additional $1 per seating position."

– Bureau of National Affairs Product Safety & Liability Reporter, February 1, 1991

 

"Compared to hospital bills, seat belts are quite a bargain"

"The CARS Foundation, an auto safety advocacy group in McLean, Va., was upset earlier this month when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal agency, rejected the group's petition to require auto manufacturers to include adjustable shoulder-belt anchorages in cars, light trucks, small buses and multipurpose vehicles. It is estimated that the change would have added about $2 per seat, or about $8 per car…It's difficult to convince us that an extra $8 would seem like sticker shock to consumers for a feature that could make belts more comfortable and usable to folks of a variety of sizes.

The CARS Foundation contends that children age 5 and older, those who have outgrown child-safety restraints and booster seats, and small adults, would be more likely to use seat belts if they were adjustable. Seat-belt usage drops dramatically once youngsters are out of safety restraints specially designed for them.

The National Transportation Safety Board, the Safe Kids Coalition, the Center for Auto Safety, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and others favored the adjustable shoulder anchorage.

But NHTSA was not convinced that adding this feature would boost belt usage, said Barry Felrice, assistant administrator for the agency. [Barry Felrice later left the agency to work for the auto industry.] Though short people complain about the discomfort of seat belts, there is no data to show they use belts less often than tall people."

– Seattle Times "Troubleshooter," March 3, 1991