Call 4 Action: Seatbelt Concerns

WTAE-TV's Susan Koeppen Reports

November 29, 2002

Some say a type of seatbelt found in millions of cars on the road right now is very dangerous.

The following is a transcript of a report by WTAE Call 4 Action reporter Susan Koeppen, which aired Nov. 26, 2002, on Action News at 11 p.m. It's Christmas Eve, 2000. Kristen Smith, 14, is celebrating with her family. Just five days later, there was a horrible accident.

Smith was thrown from the family minivan, and she didn't survive. Police reports say that Smith wasn't wearing a seatbelt, but her family says she was.

Attorney Larry Coben represents the family. He is suing, claiming that Smith's seatbelt unlatched during the accident.

Coben: "The buckle clearly is designed so someone could bump it the red tab and release it."

The seatbelt in question is the Gen 3, found in 14 million Chrysler vehicles that were made between 1993 and 2002. They include the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, Chrysler Town and Country, Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Intrepid.

Lawsuits across the country say the Gen 3 seatbelt is so dangerous because of the release button. It protrudes from the assembly, making it easier to come unlatched during an accident.

Jeremy Trabucco works for ARCCA, Inc. -- a technical consulting firm that did a study of the Gen 3 seatbelt for ABC News. Using a 40-mm ball, it tested the seatbelt to see if it would pop open.

Trabucco: "The 40-mm ball is an industry standard, and it's used to replicate an object such as an elbow.

Trabucco: The Chrysler gen 3 models consistently opened during the 40-mm ball test, which means it's unreasonably prone to unintended opening."

Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety: "Seatbelts are your last line of protection in a crash. They should never fail. The problem here is the very defect causes the seatbelt to come loose, and it's as if you had never buckled up in the first place."

Ditlow would like to see Daimler Chrysler recall all 14 million vehicles that have the Gen 3 seatbelt.

A spokesperson for Daimler Chrysler says the Gen 3 has an established safety record spanning decades, and it's backed by hundreds of crash tests.

When testing seatbelts, automakers in the United States are not required by the government to use the ball test we showed earlier. Smith's family is hoping that changes.

Shelly Lingo, Smith's aunt: "Kristen died. It's terrible to be aware of that loss, and people need to know about it. You can't get that back."

If you have these seatbelts in your car and you are concerned, the Center for Auto Safety suggests contacting the automobile maker to complain.

There is no recall, and no way to change your seatbelt.