American Notes Safety

For safety on the highways, "buckle up" may no longer be sound advice in every situation. When the National Transportation Safety Board began an investigation in 1984 on seat-belt performance, a surprising pattern emerged: backseat passengers who had used lap belts suffered more serious and fatal injuries in head-on collisions than did those with no restraints at all. The NTSB has called on the Department of Transportation to require shoulder harnesses in the backseats of new cars, a regulation that could take effect by the end of the year.