Book Description

This document presents witness' testimonies and supplemental materials from the congressional hearing called to examine the issue of automotive safety. In her opening statement, Chairwoman Patricia Schroeder briefly reviews statistics on traffic accidents and identifies the two major issues to be addressed in the hearing: failure to act by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the use of safety belts. It is emphasized throughout the hearing that representatives from NHTSA refused to appear at the hearing; the absence of representatives from the trucking and automobile industries is also noted. Witnesses providing testimonies include: (1) Byron Bloch, a consultant on auto safety design, who briefly reviews the history of NHTSA and demonstrates the danger of "windowshade" seat belts (seat belts with too much slack in the shoulder belts), automatic shoulder belts, and truck underride; (2) Joan Claybrook, the president of Public Citizen; who describes safety systems which she feels should be standard equipment in all vehicles; (3) Benjamin Kelley, the president of the Institute for Injury Reduction; who addresses the issue of "windowshade" seat belts; and (4) Brian O'Neill, the president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, who reviews the history of manual and nonmanual automatic restraints and the safeguards in place to prevent truck underride. Letters, prepared statements, and supplemental materials are included from Representative Schroeder, the witnesses, the American Trucking Association, Inc., and Jerry Ralph Curry, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (NB)