Interpretation ID: 1982-2.2
DATE: 04/07/82
FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; F. Berndt; NHTSA
TO: D. L. Robertson
TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION
TEXT: This is in reply to your letter of September 9, 1977, regarding a letter from your constituent, Mr. Larry Gabor, Chairman of the Huntington Consumer Protection Board, concerning the safety of vehicle seats which do not lock in fore-and-aft adjustment position.
As we explained to Mr. Gabor in our letter of August 18, 1977 (copy enclosed), we have a Federal motor vehicle safety standard which is designed to prevent this situation. The standard regulates vehicles at initial sale, but does not cover inadvertent failure or premature wear-out situations. We do have authority to investigate such situations, however, to determine if grounds exist for conduct of a safety related defect "recall campaign." We are forwarding a copy of Mr. Gabor's letter to our Office of Defects Investigation to alert them of this situation. Our previous letter urged Mr. Gabor to furnish them the pertinent details on this matter. Only then can they investigate properly.
SINCERELY,
TOWN OF HUNTINGTON LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
(Illegible Word) PROTECTION BOARD
July 25, 1977
Congressman Jerome Ambro
This Office is concerned about a particular aspect of automobile safety; the construction of the adjustable driver seat is what concerns us.
Based on an incident that occurred in our Town recently, it would appear that it is possible for a driver seat not to look into position but to actually slide back and forth depending on the motion of the driver, or the car, or both.
The incident that brought this to our attention was a driver, short in stature, actually unable to reach the brakes or the steering wheel of her car because the seat slid backward during acceleration. The driver of the car in this case was seriously injured.
We feel that this may be a significant hazzard and that some fail-safe system ought to be developed.
Please advise us of your thinking and experience on this subject.
Larry Gabor Chairman