Congress, Crash Victims Want Action on Deadly Seat Back Failures

Modern technology helps vehicles avoid collisions and prevents injury, but the potential for a deadly collision inside the vehicle is being overlooked, some say.

Seat back collapses have killed or seriously injured 100 people since 1989, a CBS News investigation found, and lawmakers in Congress are now joining victims in calling for action.

Although all new vehicles must pass federal safety regulations before they can be approved for sale, advocates say the standards for seat strength are too low. In a rear impact, front seat backs can fail, propelling front seat occupants towards the rear of the car, where they often collide with back seat passengers.

Children, especially those in front-facing car seats, are especially vulnerable when this happens.

A similar investigation by Fox News found 100 lawsuits claiming the death of a child was caused by seat back failure.

Both reports highlight the case of 16-month-old Taylor Warner, who died after her parent’s 2010 Honda Odyssey was rear-ended by a vehicle travelling 55 miles per hour. The child suffered fatal head trauma after the Honda’s driver’s seat collapsed into her.

An auto industry engineer once testified that strengthening seats would cost about a dollar.

Today, Senators Ed Markey (D–MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D–CT) plan to send a letter to 19 automakers, including Honda, asking for answers on the issue. Markey seems especially angered by the inaction of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“We had warnings on airbags for years. NHTSA did nothing. We’ve had warnings on seat backs killing children in the back seats. NHTSA has done nothing,” Markey told CBS. “This is just history repeating itself. It just has to end.”

While the NHTSA is aware of the potential for seat back failures, it claims it doesn’t have enough data to support changes to seat construction. The safest place for a child, according to the NHTSA, remains the back seat.

[Image: IIHS]