drivers seat failed in accident

[FB71]

A seat that collapses is dangerous!

you are correct. I was unaware of the severity of the seat's deformity. A seat is supposed to YIELD, as I said. Not COLLAPSE, like has happened here.

[blkfordsedan]

OK, I will say one more thing and then leave it.

Your seat is not supposed to collapse. Your organs have a much better chance of surviving if they stay put, but get "slammed back into your spine" than they do if you are reclined and they get to move up in your abdominal cavity.

Then there is the ability of your seat belt to hold you in place. If you are lucky enough to only get hit from behind, you may not fold up under the dash. If you go from sitting still to being launched forward, then hitting the car in front of you and getting slowed to a stop again, all in the space of 10 feet, you have a very good chance of needing your seat belts. A reclined body will slide under the lap belt, and the shoulder belt is worthless. There is a reason racing organizations require an "anti-submarining" belt (the fifith point in a five-point harness). It is not to crush your balls in a wreck- it is to keep you out from under the dash board.

Most modern owner's manuals will warn you not to drive with the seat in a reclined position. This is to keep you from submarining under your seat belt.

Whiplash and related injuries, along with lower back injuries, are the most common injuries received when you are hit from behind. In the most devastating impacts, the head will snap back fast and far enough to crush the vertebrae in the neck. Modern seats have head rest that move FORWARD in a rear-end collision to reduce the space between the head and a supporting surface to minimize this injury. How much protection do you get from a head rest that disapears?

If your hips stay put, but your unsupported lower back is allowed to flop back, severe injuries to your back are likely. Not to mention the injuries from your twisted body slamming in to the pasneger seat or the center console.

If you don't believe me, do a little research on the NHSTA and IIHS websites, as well as medical journals. Google it- there are world-wide efforts to develop standards for seat integrity for the auto industry.

If it was safer, car seats would be designed to do it. They even have to be careful about how much flex the foam in the seats have so they don't allow too much body movement.

I know that I can't change the mind of the true believers, but for the rest of you, change out your seats. I will be replacing mine this week. Oh, and if you are making a mounting bracket, how much do you trust your welds? The forces in an accident are horrendous, and a seat that comes lose off the floor isn't much good, either.

End of rant.

Excellent point. I never thought of it in that respect. I guess the perfect scenario would be a sturdy well fitting seat with a safety restraint that holds you firm. Personally, I am more worried about my automatic seat belts than the seat. If the door comes open, what keeps the belt from opening up and forcing you out. I think they changed the design due to this reason?

[resuwrecked]

my shoulder belt failed when i wrecked my first stiva. I would have been fine if the stitching at the buckle didnt pull apart. Everyone needs to check their belts stiching, if its frayed its bad. Try pulling it apart, i bet it will rip in your hands.

X2!!!!! both of my seat belts when i bought the car had threads completely fried by the sun to the point that they would rip apart if i hit the breaks hard. I replaced the drivers side with a good one and since i couldn't find a good passenger one at the time, i had my mom sew the crap out of it with really thick thread until i could find a good one in a j/y. CHECK YOUR BELTS!!!

I'm glad someone heard that! I think the seatbelt issue is more dangerous than the seatback. Front end collisions are more likely than rear ones. Try to pull apart the stitching, if it gives or is frayed replace it.

[FB71]

Personally, I am more worried about my automatic seat belts than the seat. If the door comes open, what keeps the belt from opening up and forcing you out. I think they changed the design due to this reason?

the inertia switch in the back that shuts off the fuel pump in a collision also disables the auto seat belts, when tripped.

[wybnrml]

Personally, I am more worried about my automatic seat belts than the seat. If the door comes open, what keeps the belt from opening up and forcing you out. I think they changed the design due to this reason?

That is why you also wear the lap belt, just in case. Festivas came with a little Allen wrench to wind down the automatic seat belts if they became disabled.

[blkfordsedan]

the inertia switch in the back that shuts off the fuel pump in a collision also disables the auto seat belts, when tripped.

Thanks, that makes me feel a little better. I swear that I remember back in the early '90s that there were issues with the belts ejecting people, or maybe it was just an issue with child car seats. It may have just been unfounded rumors or a 1-in-50,000 fluke. I guess if the inertia switch happens to fail then it could be an issue.

[Breedlove]

I was rearended today. I was stopped on the highway and a F-350 didn't notice and rearended the car behind me which caused a 4 car chain reaction. The drivers seat is now permanently reclined back and at an angle. The only injury I have is a very sore back which was caused by or made worse by the seatback bending back and twisting. The car is totaled. If I get another Festiva one of the first mods I will do is change the seats.

I was rear-ended in Nashville 10 years ago, and the same thing happened to me, my radio popped out and my seat broke, reclined back. there was no one sitting in the back luckily. The moronic lady that hit me was talking on the phone, that was the death of my first Festiva, but I walked away with no injury, she hit me at about 60 MPH.

[drof 89]

Yea. If this would go to court. Make sure you get iheir cell phone records. It's crucial!

[Studebaker]

OMG you were hit by a F-350 and did not have to go to the hospital. I say all the safety equipment worked including the seats. These cars are safer than most people think.

Just my two cents worth.

David