Arlen Specter: “some of the cases disclosed procedures which would result in additional safety which were left uncorrected for very…”

“some of the cases disclosed procedures which would result in additional safety which were left uncorrected for very considerable periods of time, and I refer now to an intracompany memorandum of the Ford Motor Co., dated September 19, 1967, which reports: When properly worn, the three-point diagonal shoulder belt system has been demonstrated to offer much greater protection to the vehicle occupant than does a single-lap belt alone since it prevents injuries from jack-knifing. And in the same document: A properly worn three-point system clearly protects the occupant better than a lap-belt-only system. But it was not corrected until 1987 as reflected in intracompany correspondence of Ford. This is dated May 2, 1986: I believe we should consider optional rear seat shoulder belts for reasons described in the attached memo to you from Al Slechter as a defense against future product liability claims. These are a series of internal memos, Mr. President, which have come to public light in the course of litigation and show that litigation of product liability cases with the potential for punitive damages is a significant factor leading to product safety, which I think has to be evaluated as we consider this legislation.”