Automotive Safety: Are We Doing Enough to Protect America's Families? : Hearing Before the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session, Hearing Held in Washington, DC, December 4, 1991, Part 2This document presents witness' testimonies and supplemental materials from the congressional hearing called to examine the issue of automotive safety. In her opening statement, Chairwoman Patricia Schroeder briefly reviews statistics on traffic accidents and identifies the two major issues to be addressed in the hearing: failure to act by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the use of safety belts. It is emphasized throughout the hearing that representatives from NHTSA refused to appear at the hearing; the absence of representatives from the trucking and automobile industries is also noted. Witnesses providing testimonies include: (1) Byron Bloch, a consultant on auto safety design, who briefly reviews the history of NHTSA and demonstrates the danger of "windowshade" seat belts (seat belts with too much slack in the shoulder belts), automatic shoulder belts, and truck underride; (2) Joan Claybrook, the president of Public Citizen; who describes safety systems which she feels should be standard equipment in all vehicles; (3) Benjamin Kelley, the president of the Institute for Injury Reduction; who addresses the issue of "windowshade" seat belts; and (4) Brian O'Neill, the president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, who reviews the history of manual and nonmanual automatic restraints and the safeguards in place to prevent truck underride. Letters, prepared statements, and supplemental materials are included from Representative Schroeder, the witnesses, the American Trucking Association, Inc., and Jerry Ralph Curry, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (NB) |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
agency air bags ALAN WHEAT Albert Benjamin Kelley amount of slack auto safety automatic belt system automatic belts automatic restraints automatic seat belts automatic shoulder belt B-pillar belt designs belt usage belt webbing buckle car companies Chairwoman SCHROEDER Claybrook comfort and convenience Committee on Children consumers cost crash tests Department of Transportation door driver effective ejection equipped excessive slack fatal Ford Ford Escort FORD GRANADA front seat hazards hearing Highway Safety Highway Traffic Safety impact inches Injury Reduction Institute for Highway Institute for Injury Insurance Institute issue JIM BACCHUS Joan Claybrook lap-shoulder belts manual belts manufacturers Motor Vehicle Safety National Highway Traffic NHTSA NPRM occupant passenger PATRICIA SCHROEDER percent reduce restraint system Restraint Type rulemaking safety belts safety benefits safety standards Select Committee shade tension relievers three-point Traffic Safety Administration U.S. Congress U.S. Department UPPER MARLBORO window windowshade windowshade belts windowshade device