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1992 SATURN SL — SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

1 fatalcrash2 injured · 290249 · 2001-04-27

Vehicle

Make
SATURN
Model
SL
Year
1992
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
Speed
37 mph

Severity

Deaths
1
Injured
2
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

OUR 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DIED BECAUSE SHE HAD THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT FULLY RECLINED. SHE WAS TAKING A NAP COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL. HER SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED, BUT AT IMPACT HER UPPER TORSO WAS WHIPPED FORWARD, THEN THE FRONT SEAT RECLINING MECHANISM GAVE OUT AND THE FRONT SEAT POPPED UP TO ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, THEN WHEN HER SHOULDER BELT CAUGHT SHE WAS THROWN BACK INTO THE SEAT. SHE DIED OF SEVERE BRAIN TRAUMA, BUT THERE WERE NO MARKS ON HER. THE NEUROLOGIST SAID IT WAS AKIN TO SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME BECAUSE HER HEAD WAS SHAKEN TOO FAST AND TOO HARD, CAUSING THE BRAIN STEM TO SWELL AND CUT OXYGEN FLOW TO THE BRAIN. THE WINDSHIELD DIDN'T EVEN CRACK. WHY ARE FRONT SEATS MADE TO RECLINE WHEN SAFETY BELTS AND AIRBAGS WILL NOT PROTECT YOU IF YOU ARE RECLINED?*AK

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
744640
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown