Carmakers are letting Americans weigh in on some important decisions these days because their opinion is important, and they  want to continue to sell automobiles to them.  Manufacturers want consumers to have good experiences in their brand, and part of that is making sure occupants are well-protected when they are involved in accidents.  

But auto manufacturers face a quandy. About one-third of Americans are obese.  According to research performed by Ford, men and women have gained about 27 pounds since the American Medical Association (AMA) published its statistics in 1962.  They are also somewhat larger through the hips.  Building seats and passenger compartment controls to accommodate larger drivers and passengers while continuing to accommodate small to medium size people has proven challenging.  The benefits gained by one group ofen impose discomfort or danger on the other.  

If comfort was all there was to consider auto manufacturers could design larger seats on longer seat tracks that place occupants farther from the dash. But not all obese occupants have long arms to reach dash knobs or long legs to reach the pedals.  An interim fix adopted by some manufacturers was to relocate hard to reach switches and control knobs to the console or steering wheel, and make the pedals move closer to the driver by depressing a dashboard switch or setting a memory function. 

While buyers put a huge emphasis on comfort and styling, manufacturers must be equally concerned for occupant safety.  Let's face it, if any were brazen enough to manufacture a car specifically for the obese and market it as such, few would buy the auto since many people don’t see in the mirror what’s reflected on the scales. 

People just don’t think of themselves as fat so they don't feel they need a car built to cater to an obese market.  That’s why most car manufacturers are being slightly covert about changes they intend on implementing. Overweight and underweight Americans have had their say by being measured and weighed so mannequins and test dummies can more accurately reflect the true size and shape of occupants.

With the growing obesity problem, manufacturers have to contend with safety issues they’ve never confronted before.  It’s one thing for seat foam and fabrics to wear out prematurely, but the real question is  whether electronics implanted into seats occupied by obese people will hold up?    There have already been cases reported where heaters embedded in seat foam overheated when heavily compressed with the weight of  an occupant.  In addition, manufacturers often build cooling features into seats and air bag sensors that control operation of multiple stage air bags that deploy based on size and weight of occupants. 

Ford measured about 5,000 people to size its new mannequins  – a feat that took some six years to complete.  The CAESAR study, a research project headed by Kathlene Robinette at the Air Force Research laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio electronically scanned images of 13,000 people.  The CAESAR study findings are used not only by car manufacturers but also by the military and manufacturers of clothing and furniture.

Restraint systems, too, are being resized and reconsidered?  This is necessary because it is much easier for obese people to suffer injuries in accidents as belts meant to tighten against bone and muscle of hips, sternums, shoulders and ribs grip with detonated force against sensitive internal organs and flabby stomachs.  Injuries are more likely to occur among obese people because excessive weight means the restraint must pull more tightly in order to connect parts of the body solid enough to stop the momentum that’s propelling a driver or passenger toward the windshield in an accident. 

Many people errantly believe the flab that’s between the belt and bone on obese people cushions the pull of a restraint system thus preventing injuries that might otherwise occur.  While there may be a degree of truth to their logic, at least in the initial phases of an accident and during light hits, the greater fear should be that the looseness of the device, even one that appears to be drawn tightly across the stomach, could allow obese occupant to slip out from under the belt in a rollover.

Manufacturers are currently looking at the use of inflatable seat belts that could pull adequately while somewhat cushioning the grip on occupants. But restraint systems are growing in complexity and are becoming quite costly. How much consumers are willing to pay for these features may be tempered by the extra cash they have left for car payments after buying essentials like…food.  Who knows, the time may come when consumers  pull up to the finance window of a dealership and say, “I want to purchase a new car,” to which the salesperson may ask, “Would you like that super-sized?”

Learn More by Reading Linked Articles Below:

• As Drivers Expand, Car Makers are Retooling Designs
  Source - The Boston Globe - www.boston.com

• For The hefty, Seat belts can be a Tight Fit
  Source - The Boston Globe - www.boston.com

content & design 2002-2008 David Williams and SafeCollisionRepairs.com

About Safe Collision Repairs

For more than ten years, David Williams of Wheelersburg, Ohio's Safe Collision Repairs has worked with consumers and attorneys in the tri-states of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia to expose unsafe auto repairs and maximize recovery on auto insurance claims. Some of the company's services include Post-Repair Inspections, Prepurchase Inspections, Auto Damage Assessments, Lemon Law Investigations, Expert Court Testimony and Diminished Value Calculations using an advanced version of Network Information Communication's WreckCheck program.

Inquiries can be directed to: Safe Collision Repairs David A. Williams Post Office Box 70 Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694 (740) 456-1111 (740) 355-4056

Disclaimer

The content expressed on this website and in the article above represents the opinions of David A. Williams. Williams is neither an attorney nor public insurance adjuster, but is an expert, consultant, and writer specializing in the field of automotive collision repair and valuations. The information provided herein is not intended to be a substitute for legal or insurance advice. Because collision repair is a continually evolving science, any text, materials or links found herein are provided without claim or guarantee to their accuracy or completeness.