In January 2009, Toyota Motor Corp. announced a global recall of its Yaris which has been found to have defective seatbelt. According to reports, the foam pad could ignite after a high-impact frontal collision.
The carmaker giant said more than 1.35 million US-made Yaris, which were built from January 2005 to April 2008, are expected to be recalled.
While there are only two reported cases of seatbelt ignition, Toyota said total recall is the most practical move to prevent accidents and injuries from happening again.
Another controversial issue about defective seatbelt involved Chrysler’s Generation 3 (GEN3) buckle which can unlatch itself during a rollover crash or high-impact collision.
According to reports, more than a dozen people have died and nearly 30 were injured after their seatbelt buckle accidentally unlatched. Despite the seriousness of this problem, Chrysler denied the flawed design of GEN3 seatbelt.
In March 2002, the Center for Auto Safety has stepped in and ordered Chrysler to recall its 14 million vehicles which have GEN3 seatbelt.
Experts said that GEN3’s design is flawed since the release button protrudes too high. If the person accidentally hit this button with his elbow or other object, the seatbelt can be inadvertently unlatched.
Federal Safety Standard for Seatbelts
According to the federal motor vehicle safety standards, seatbelts should have a buckle which provides easy access to passengers while allowing them to unlatch this with less effort.
Also, buckle should have a design that will prevent accidental release during a high-impact collision. To minimize the possibility of accidental unlatch, a buckle should only have one opening to insert the tongue and to secure this.
If a seatbelt did not pass the federal standard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is authorized to order companies to recall the defective seatbelt and repair its flawed design.
Wearing seatbelt—a matter of life and death
According to a report, almost 80 percent of fatal car accidents happened within 25 miles from the victim’s home. This statistics just proved that even in a 5-minute ride to a grocery store, passengers and drivers should wear their seatbelts.
Some people do not wear safety harness thinking that airbag is enough to protect them from injury. Contrary to this belief, experts said that airbags enhance the effectiveness of seatbelts up to 40 percent, but it cannot serve as a replacement for safety harness.
To spread safety awareness among drivers and car passengers, the NHTSA started a campaign called "Click It or Ticket" which promotes the use of safety harness. According to the agency, the campaign has been successful in creating the highest national seatbelt usage of more than 80 percent.
Safety harness and seat for children
Adult seatbelts are different from the one used by children. To make it a safer travel for babies and toddlers, parents should know the appropriate seat and safety harness for their children.
These are the four car seats for children according to NHTSA:
1. Rear Facing Seat – this is used by month-old babies to at least one year.
2. Forward-facing Toddler Seat – used by children ages one to four or those weighing between 20 lbs. to 40 lbs.
3. Booster seat – used by children ages four to eight (4'9" tall and below).
4. Safety belt – eight years and older can already used this.
(All children 12 years and younger should ride in the back seat.)
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