Our Children are at Risk When Dangerous and Defective Front Seats Collapse in Rear Impacts and Allow Front Sit Occupants to Collide with Rear Seat Occupants

Auto manufacturers continue to utilize weak, defective front seats that collapse in rear-end crashes and cause deaths and catastrophic injuries. Children sitting in the back are common victims. Children in the back seat suffer serious injuries from seatback collapses in two common scenarios. First, the front seatback collapses and directly contacts a child’s upper torso or head, causing catastrophic spine and brain injuries. Second, when seatbacks fail and collapse rearward, front occupants may be catapulted into the rear occupant space where a child is sitting. Auto manufacturers have known about the dangers of defective seatbacks for decades. Engineering papers dating back to the 1960s have called for stiffer, stronger seats to protect occupants in rear-end crashes. The federal standard for seatback strength in rear-end crashes—Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 207— is grossly inadequate and fails to predict the performance of seats under impact conditions. All major auto manufacturers admit the standard is inadequate. In fact, a lawn chair purchased at a discount retailer can easily pass the standard that regulates seatback strength. Safety advocates and experts have called for improved testing and strength standards for decades. In the 1990s, the federal government sought comments and proposals to strengthen testing standards. Auto manufacturers strongly opposed these changes and argued that improved testing would cost too much. Ultimately, the federal standards remain the same and allow millions of vehicles with weak, defective seats on our roads each year. Sadly, both front occupants and children sitting in the back seat pay the price in rear-end crashes at residential speeds.