There have been more than 1,260 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding seat heaters since 1984. In almost all of these complaints, the seat heater had overheated. 287 people injured and 512 fires have been reported. During this time, there have also been nine seat heater recalls. Most of the complaints were in the early 2000s. Recently, the number of complaints has decreased. Fortunately, there have been no related deaths.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requested that the Society of Automotive Engineers meet to discuss the issues. A committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers will meet to define the maximum temperature that the seat heaters must be able to reach. Auto power off features will also be discussed. This committee will also investigate whether indicator lights should be in standard locations on all vehicles.
These concerns were first brought to the attention of the government agency in 2011. Safety advocates noted that this product could be dangerous for people with sensory deprivation. For example, paraplegics and quadriplegics were unable to determine the temperature of the seats. They also cannot determine if the heaters are on.
There have been reports of paraplegics and quadriplegics being injured due to seat heaters. There have been lawsuits against car manufacturers due to their negligence with paraplegics and quadriplegics. Paraplegics and quadriplegics have accused automakers of knowingly neglecting this issue of heated seats.
General Motors is one of the automakers facing scrutiny for its seat heaters. The lawsuits against General Motors concern its mobility program. The mobility program adapts vehicles for paraplegics and quadriplegics. In 2010, General Motors began including warnings in vehicle owner’s manuals. Currently, the manuals of all models contain warnings on the subject of safety.
According to experts, seat heaters can start to degrade pretty quickly. After three or more winters, seat heaters may begin to degrade. This degradation could cause overheating. Experts believe that this overheating could be the reason why many victims have been burned years after purchasing the vehicle.
This industry action is just in time. Heated seats are becoming more common, even lower-priced vehicles offer them. Intense competition will force the auto industry to develop better and safer seat heating technology.
Safety concerns are always an issue for the automotive industry. In 2012, the number of recalled cars increased. However, the number of models decreased. Analysts believe that the auto industry is becoming more proactive in ensuring car safety. Cars have been reminded of safety issues that previously would have been overlooked. Hopefully, the auto industry has become more proactive on safety issues. Recalled cars have caused too many serious accidents.
