The Nation : Panel to Investigate Rear Seat Belt Safety

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration engineers have opened an investigation of claims that the rear seat belts on 1.7 million Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx cars manufactured since 1984 can cripple passengers in a crash, the agency said. But the agency said the belts, which have an unusual design, comply with federal standards. NHTSA granted part of a petition by a La Plata, Md., couple, Larry and Patricia Garrett, whose son was crippled in a 1985 accident while riding in a Ford Escort. The Garretts through their attorneys alleged a strap retainer causes the rear seat belts on the Escort and Lynx cars to ride up on the waist rather than settling around the hips, increasing the chance of serious injury in accidents. The Garretts last December won a $3.3-million judgment against Ford Motor Co. for their son’s injuries. The auto maker expressed confidence the agency would find no safety-related defect in the belts.