NHTSA complaint: 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS — SEAT BELTS
AS THE PASSENGER IN THE CAR THAT I OWNED WE WERE DRIVING AND HIT THE BACK END OF A LARGE PICKUP TRUCK AT APPROX 26-28 MPH. I AM 5'10" AND AS ALWAYS WAS NOT SITTING CLOSE TO THE DASH. ONCE I REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED MY FACE WAS BLEEDING VERY HEAVILY. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS MY FACE HAD SLAMMED INTO THE DASH (IS NOT CLOSE TO INDIVIDUALS IN PRIUS'. MY NOSE HAD A SIGNIFICANT RIP IN TWO LOCATIONS AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE FOR PLASTIC SURGERY. WITHIN 24 HRS MY ENTIRE FACE WAS SWOLLEN WITH A MAJORITY OF DARK BRUISING FROM MY EYES TO MY JAWS. AND MULTIPLE STITCHES IN MY NOSE. MY SEATBELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN ME BACK. THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. ACCORDING TO THE AUTO SHOP THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY BC IT HAD MISSED THE SENSOR BY AN INCH. THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS THE FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ENTIRE PASSENGER FRONT END. THE HOOD ROLLED UP AND EVEN PARTIALLY CAME THRU THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR WAS TOTALED FROM THE IMPACT.THEY STATED TO THEM THERE IS NO REASON THE SEAT BELT DIDN'T RESTRAIN. HOWEVER AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA THEY DID AN INSPECTION ROUGHLY THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY AND I RECEIVED A COPY OF THE DATA REPORT THAT SHOWED MY MPH AND PROOF I WAS RESTRAINED AND MORE INFORMATION THAT AN AVERAGE PERSON WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND. THE END OF MARCH 2013 I RECEIVED A RESPONSE STATED THE SEATBELT WORKED WITHIN THE LEGAL GUIDELINES. MY THOUGHTS WERE NO WAY, WHAT WOULD BE THE PURPOSE TO WEAR THE SEATBELT IF YOU CAN STILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THEN THANKING GOD THAT MY DAUGHTER WASN'T I
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation