HL Deb 20 December 1972 vol 337 cc1078-9
LORD BURNTWOOD

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of recent accidents, inquiries can be made into the efficacy of return springs, fitted with inertia car safety straps.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, my information is that seat belts incorporating inertia reels work well in practice. My right honourable friend the Minister for Transport Industries keeps such matters under close review and will be glad to examine any evidence the noble Lord may care to send to him.

LORD BURNTWOOD

My Lards, may I ask whether there are any standards to provide for the minimum tension relevant to the nature and weight of the strapping used so as to ensure a proper and effective return wind? Secondly, may I ask whether the noble Lord will allow me to send him two opinions expressed by senior medical officials in two London hospitals who have experience of two cases where people have suffered as a result of this sort of defect?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, with regard to the noble Lord's first supplementary question, all safety belts, including inertia belts, have by law to conform to the British Standard which is based on a variety of performance criteria. This is a fact, my Lords; all safety belts have to conform to this standard. With regard to the noble Lord's second supplementary question, as I indicated in my original Answer my right honourable friend and I would be delighted to hear any evidence that he has.

LORD BURNTWOOD

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the ordinary old-fashioned type of safety belt does not involve a return wind factor; that the new inertia type does, and that therefore a standard for the return requirement is very important?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

Yes, my Lords, I take the noble Lord's point. Inertia belts have much to recommend them, including the fact that they are always perfectly adjusted. The ordinary static belt is not necessarily always adjusted properly and we should be loath to condemn the inertia belt on the ground of occurrences of which we are not aware—and we are not aware of occurrences such as the noble Lord described.

LORD ST. JUST

My Lords, may I ask whether these belts have been tested by the Road Research Laboratory on foreign cars imported into this country?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I shall have to look into that question and let my noble friend know.

LORD CONESFORD

My Lords, what is inert—the car, the passenger or the strap?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the noble Lord would be kept inert if he had an accident while wearing the safety belt.