Americans Outgrowing Seatbelts

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By By KOMO Staff & News Services

Summary

Seatbelt standards set on 1960 statistics.

Story Published: Jul 12, 2000 at 11:51 AM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 30, 2006 at 10:08 PM PDT

SEATTLE - Americans are getting bigger, but some safety experts say seatbelts are not keeping up.

Several groups, including some in Seattle, are petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to review seat belts standards because they are not large enough.

The main problem is that the standard belts are based on statistics from 1960. But petitioners say the largest drivers are at least 50 pounds heavier today.

Many car companies do offer extensions for seatbelts, but they have not been tested for safety.