I appreciate the comments about ABS and starter-linked seat belts, and especially the reassurances that high quality, well-built Corollas come out of the NUMMI plant. I'm now no longer worried about buying a Corolla, even though my old Tercel's VINny started with a "J."
But I can't be convinced that safety belts shouldn't be linked to the starter. I would say it's better to have lotsa people late for work because of malfunctioning seat belt interlocks than lotsa people seriously injured and dead because of outlawed interlocks, which is what we have today.
Sounds to me like the worst court ruling ever. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the human body evolved over eons to somehow withstand the forces involved in even a
20 mile per hour collision, let alone 55.And over time, had the interlocks been given a chance, I'm sure their malfunction rate would have been greatly reduced, as is the case with many new things.
I'd guess hauling around 3 thousand pounds of metal at 65 miles an hour is just about the most dangerous thing most of us has ever done, and we do it every single day for years and years. How's that for being a super dare-devil and risk-taker!