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Says "No" to Seat Belts for Larger Passengers
Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
June 15, 2000
Re: Elizabeth Fisher's petition for
an amendment to SEC. 571.209 Standard No. 209, Seat Belt Assemblies
Dear Administrator:
I am writing in support of Elizabeth Fisher's petition to amend 49CFR571.209.
There are laws in 49 states and the
District of Columbia that require seat belt use, yet there is no federal regulation
that requires vehicle manufacturers to make seat belt assemblies that fit people
who weigh over 215 pounds. What good are stringent safety requirements if
we cannot fasten our seat belts?
On the NHTSA website there is an advertisement for the Buckle Up America Campaign.
How can you encourage rigorous enforcement of state and local seat belt laws
when your own regulation seems to be based on exclusion of a significant portion
of our population?
Because fat is more prevalent in certain racial and ethnic populations, more
common in women than in men, and more common in older people than young, denying
fat people the protection of being included within the limits of federal seat
belt regulations disproportionately affects these disadvantaged groups. That's
discrimination.
Please amend 49CFR571.209 to provide a means for large people to buckle their
seat belts in vehicles they are riding in.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambie