virsight hearing - Motor Vehicle Hazard Archive Project

APPENDIX
Meronrar, SusMrtrEo rcn rnn Hnlnrr.rc Rrcono
lhe Bonor.ble C..di36 coll ins
Subconnitt.e on Covernre.t Activi Li€6
and transportaiion
co.mi tt€e on coverntrenL oper.tions
8350A Rayburn Horse Offic€ Building
rea6hinston, D. c, 20515
tr1.5. ?tm!r of Rqftrmrtroet
Sl|(!dni. ,n On .ri$ d ,i!l,t{ai.Il
trc
Cn'tttlradgdCIlr
edfi$m, EC r"
'Jl'ii .i
June 3, 1988
I under.t.nil through dl.c!..lon. ,lth our .!rf!6 that yolr
SubcotroiEtee is planntnq.n inve6tigatlon r.ga.ding seat b€lls in
th. rear of existinq and new noLor v€hlcles and Lhei. use, includln9
the avail.bility dnd cost of rnstalling shoulder belts in Lh€
re.! of eristinq vehicl€s.
?he use of s€at belts by all pelsons ehiLe d!ivin9 i$ lhe
Unit.d Stntes has b.en of con.id€!.ble conce.o of this subcotrrittee,
as shovn by lhe.trcl.s.d Coriitte€ on Ene.9y a.d Corn..ce
report on 11.R. t1 (p.9e5 I0-r21. !y lette. of Aprjl 29, r988 to the
National Highray rraffic sat€ty Adolnistration (NHrsA) and Lhe
General Account!19 offic€'s
(GAol r€porr for the subconnittee on
th€s€ ndtters. I call your particular attention to a letL€r of
April 1r, l93a rron lhe chairnan of th. N.tioul Transportation
Safety Boa.d, lrr, Jin aurnett, ,ho stat.s:
rhe GAo vds (o(recr in irs frndrnq
that th€ controve.6y prowoled by the Boardrs lap belt
report.ro6e fron our conclusions.bout the valjdity of
eatirat€6 on rear seat Iap b€lts, rore part!cula(Iy o!r
finding that none of the a!alrab),e daLabases (i.cIuding
ou! ovnl iE.deqvate for this purpose.
Ironicatly, this uhote controv€rsial
because. dian.y€d by vhat eo ,ere Iearnirq about the
serious n!zdrds of laF bel!6, ,e rere enge! to be ibte
to include in the reporL rhat, oe€i.rl,
lnp b.rts pro!ide posrtrve b.netits. r'hur, ao6Ld staff
spenl a substantial portion !f its rjr€ and effoft
erattnrn9 studi€s on s.at belt eff..tiv.n€ss, r6viFr)n9
the nature of th€ v.rious databases used in th.se
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