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Posted Feb 9, 2008 by ■ Leah
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Obesity and Seat belts
So, what should these car makers be focusing on?
Seat belt standards date back at least four decades. Back then, the standards were to make the seat belts long enough to fit a 215 lb. man. Manufacturers have offered seat belt extenders, to larger belts, but auto companies have always had concerns on their effectiveness. They should be concerned, but isn't that why they put the cars through a series of tests? I mean shouldn't they work on making them more effective, instead of ignoring the problem completely?
Another concern for the overweight would be a steering wheel that has a tilt option. Most obese cannot drive a car if they can't even turn the steering wheel.
Now, don't get me wrong -- I do feel there is a point where obese people should realize that not everyone can accommodate them. And maybe they should look into getting in better shape, but I also feel that they do deserve to live as human beings as well.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most car manufacturers including Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC, Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. have seat belts that are longer than required.