Auto Industry Agrees to Rear-Seat Shoulder Belts
Faced with growing evidence challenging the safety of lap-only seat belts, the head of the auto makers’ biggest trade group said Thursday that the industry no longer will oppose federal regulations that would mandate rear-seat shoulder belts in all new cars.
That statement at a House hearing marked a sharp departure from the industry’s long-standing position on shoulder belts, which now are installed in the front seats of cars but often not in back seats.
Thomas M. Hanna, president of the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Assn., told members of the House Government Operations subcommittee on transportation that the automobile industry plans to voluntarily put lap and shoulder belts in both the back and front seats of “virtually every car” made by 1990.
Seek Federal Rules
But some lawmakers charged that the pledge was not enough and that federal requirements are needed.
“The manufacturers will find ways around (their pledge) unless we step in,” said Rep. Cardiss Collins (D-Ill.), who heads the transportation panel.
Collins promised to press both in Congress and at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for mandatory shoulder harnesses. Under questioning by House members, Hanna said that the industry would not fight such a requirement for new cars.
His answer came as a surprise and was hailed by congressional aides and consumer advocates who were testifying.
May Add to Injuries
Safety groups have maintained that lap-shoulder belts could prevent many of the 2,000 deaths and 200,000 injuries each year of back-seat passengers. In some cases, they say, lap belts may contribute to injuries by concentrating the crash impact in the passengers’ abdomens. Industry executives have maintained that the lap belts are safe and are an adequate restraint for back seat riders.
Some critics argued that more is needed than just a requirement for the additional equipment on new cars, noting that millions of cars still would be on the road with only lap belts in the rear.
Albert B. Kelley, president of the Institute for Injury Reduction in Washington, testified that his group’s new survey of 30 U.S. dealers discloses that, despite industry claims, dealers generally have refused to install shoulder straps in already-purchased cars when owners requested them or charged large sums for the service.
