WE WERE ON A ROAD TRIP DRIVING FROM BALTIMORE MARYLAND HOME TO EASTON PA. MY SIX YEAR OLD SON SAYS, MOMMY I NEED YOUR HELP! I TURN AROUND AND HE IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE SEATBELT WHICH IS TETHERED BETWEEN THE CEILING AND THE SEAT AROUND HIS NECK! I AM NOT SURE HOW HE GOT IN THIS PREDICAMENT AND I QUICKLY TRIED TO HELP HIM AS MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON A SECTION OF 95 WHERE WE COULD NOT PULL OVER. I CLIMBED INTO THE BACKSEAT AND FOUND THE SEATBELT WAS TIGHT AROUND HIS NECK. BY THIS TIME MY SON WAS CRYING AND PANICKING AS HE REALIZED THE SITUATION WAS WORSE THAN HE THOUGHT. THE SEATBELT HAD GOTTEN PULLED TIGHT AROUND HIS NECK AND WAS LOCKED IN THAT POSITION SO I COULD NOT LOOSEN IT. I HAD HIM GET OUT OF HIS SEATBELT ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SEAT AND TRY TO GET ON HIS KNEES AND FINALLY HE WAS ABLE TO SPIN HIS NECK OUT OF IT. HOWEVER, I THINK THIS WAS A REAL STRANGULATION HAZARD. IT WAS A TENSE FEW MINUTES IN MY CAR AS I CONTEMPLATED HAVING TO CUT THIS SEATBELT AND WHAT I WOULD USE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AND HOW MUCH TIME I HAD TO DO IT. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WRITING A COMPLAINT AS I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE OVER CAUTIOUS MOM'S BUT I DID FEEL THIS WAS A PROBLEM WORTH MENTIONING. THE SEATBELT COMES FROM THE CEILING DOWN TO THE SEAT AND THEN GETS PULLED FROM THAT POINT ACROSS A PERSONS STOMACH AND FASTENED. AT THE POINT WHERE IT WAS CONNECTED FROM THE CEILING TO THE SEAT THERE IS NO BUTTON OR SAFETY RELEASE (WHICH I WAS FRANTICALLY LOOKING FOR). I WANTED TO REPORT THIS BEFORE IT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE WHICH DOESN'T END SO WELL. THANK YOU. MARLA WITTER I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE MY VIN NUMBER ONCE I AM CONTACTED. I AM AT WORK AND DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT. *TR
2010
SERVICE BRAKES
I WAS DRIVING AND PRIOR TO HITTING MY BRAKES, SEVERAL ALERT MESSAGES POPPED UP AND A VOICE STARTED READING THEM OUT. THE MESSAGES ARE STILL SAVED ON THE ACURA'S COMPUTER, BUT SINCE THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO RECALL THEM EXACTLY. THE ONLY ONE I REMEMBER SAID THAT THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST AND TCS MAY NOT OPERATE AND IT TRIED TO DIRECT ME TO FIND THE NEAREST ACURA DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS ALSO A MESSAGE ABOUT ABS. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES, THERE WAS MINIMAL RESISTANCE, AND THE CAR DIDN'T STOP WHATSOEVER. IT DIDN'T SKID OR SLIDE, THERE WAS NO BRAKE PRESSURE AT ALL. I HAD A FEW SECONDS TO DECIDE IF I WANTED TO: PULL INTO A DITCH AND PROBABLY FLIP THE SUV, PULL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, OR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME THAT WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. I ENDED UP CHOOSING THE LATTER AND HITTING THE CAR, AFTER MY CAR DIDN'T DECELERATE OR BRAKE WHATSOEVER. THE ALERT MESSAGES REMAINED ACCESSIBLE ON THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND I CAN RETRIEVE THEM AFTER THE CAR IS REPAIRED. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE SUV, BUT I AM OBVIOUSLY MOST CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR BEING THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONAL DURING TO THE ACCIDENT WHATSOEVER. THE BRAKES WERE FUNCTIONAL AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND THE CAR HAD BEEN RESTARTED, SO THE PROBLEM IS CONCERNING FOR SURE, BUT INTERMITTENT. *TR
