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Honda Says "No" to
Seat Belts for Larger Passengers
June 14, 2000
Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Administrator:
I am writing in support of Elizabeth Fisher's petition to amend Federal Regulation SEC.
571.209 Standard No. 209, Seat Belt Assemblies.
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.
Let us not forget, the primary purpose of the seatbelt, second only to the protection of
the individual restrained, is to keep all the occupants of the vehicle in
their places should a crash occur. Imagine a minor motor vehicle crash
occuring, and the drive losing his/her place in the vehicle. How much control of the
vehicle can be maintained then? Also imagine a projectile larger than 215 pounds
being propelled at the restrained driver during a minor crash. How much control of
the vehicle can be maintained then? The point being, seatbelts not only save the
lives of the occupants of the offending vehicle in a crash, but provide the
driver with a better opportunity for controlling the vehicle after the crash.
This can not be done if the occupants are knocking each other out of position in the
vehicle, more importantly knocking the driver away from the controlling features of the
vehicle.
Additionally, many if not all states have
some sort of legislation in place supporting the national seatbelt campaign. Passage
of this legislation and successful enforcement of the laws it provides is often tied to
federal tax dollars passed on to states in support of their indigent
population. You are openly aiding and abedding the willful violation of state
and federally supported laws. Also, this funding is quickly withdrawn as
punishments for states not complying with federally supported programs,
like highway and traffic laws. This places individuals, not able to
provide for themself or their families, at risk for loosing state (federally supported)
funding paramount to thier survival. Is that the hallmark of a good corporate
citizen?
Please amend 49CFR571.209 to provide a means
for large people to buckle their seat belts in vehicles they are riding in.
Sincerely,
Mark Gaudet
EMS Instructor