Safety is a big reason people buy certain cars, especially those with children. No one would likely ever buy a car if they knew that the seats collapsed dangerously during a crash. If you think certain cars are safe just because of their reputation you might want to think again and do more research. Notable brands like Audi, Volvo, BMW and Mercedes have previously designed vehicles where the seats collapse in a dangerous manner according to reporting by Megan Towey & Kris Van Cleave of CBS News. 

The CBS News story details how the lawsuit proved that the seats were designed to collapse onto the backseat passengers in a crash. The results of these crashes often caused serious injuries to the rear seat passengers, including children. Moreover, and tragically, the cost to fix the design was less than a a couple off dollars.

Towey and Van Cleave report that “Auto safety experts are demanding action on what they call a serious safety defect. The move comes days after a Texas jury awarded more than a $124.5 million verdict against one automaker for a problem car companies admit would only cost a couple of dollars to fix.

Crash test videos obtained during the course of our CBS News investigation show how when cars are hit from behind, the front driver and passenger seats of many vehicles can collapse backwards, launching the occupants into the backseat area.

For years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told parents the safest place to put children is in the backseat. Cases of apparent seatback failure reviewed by CBS News show, while drivers can also suffer catastrophic injury, children in the backseat are suffering the worst of the injuries, even death.

It happens in an instant…”

To learn more read the story and watch the video at CBS News>>>