The government has known for years that its minimum standard is inadequate.
Most vehicles have a potentially fatal flaw.
In rear-end crashes, front seats can collapse, killing and seriously injuring children and adults. Every day, parents across America buckle their kids into the back seats of family vehicles, heeding warnings that air bags can kill or injure children in the front seat. But the back seat is not as safe as parents believe. Children in the back risk severe injury and even death from front seats that may suddenly snap backward in rear-end collisions. Most vehicles on U.S. roads are designed with front seats that may not support the weight of adults in these kinds of crashes.