Morning:
3°c
Precious is a new-style weepie but one that is much more bracing than depressing
BBC accused of having a 'culture of secrecy' after it refused to reveal how much it pays its top presenters and stars
More...
In-car DVD players can kill a child in crash at just 18mph
Last updated at 00:07am on 30.06.07They are a popular accessory for parents hoping to keep their children entertained on long car journeys.
But back-seat DVD players could kill a child in a crash at only 18mph, safety tests have shown.
The screens - commonly strapped to the back of front seats and costing a few hundred pounds - can easily fly off in a collision, hitting rear passengers in the head.
Scroll down for more...
Safety tests have shown in-car DVD players can be deadly for a back seat passenger, even in low-speed accidents
The problem relates to the systems bought as accessories - rather those which are built into the back of headrests.
In a simulated collision, the DVD screen was sent hurtling from the front- seat headrest into the head of a crash-test 'baby' sitting in a child safety seat in the back.
The test showed mobile phones and satnav systems in holders attached to the dashboard or windscreen could also fly loose, hitting passengers' legs and feet.
The phone holders, which are fixed to the interior using suction pads, stayed in place but the phones inside were thrown out.
A satnav system in a similar holder remained in place but one attached to an air vent flew through car.
The tests were carried out in Klettwitz in Germany by the safety body DEKRA.
A popular DVD player was fixed to the back of the front seats with a Velcro strap.
The device was fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions and the strap was in pristine condition.
But when the car was hit from behind at just 18mph, the Velcro fastening came apart causing the DVD player to fly off. The problem was highlighted in the motoring magazine Auto Express.
A spokesman for the magazine said: "Must-have gadgets including mobile phones, satnavs and in-car DVD players can be lethal.
"In the crash test, the Velcro fastening was torn from the bag and the player hit the dummy's head.
"This happened even though the bag was correctly fitted and the strap had been checked by technicians before the test.
"Alarmingly this simulated accident happened at only 18mph."
A spokesman for DEKRA said: "The possible consequences of an accident like this are serious injuries.
"Even the phone could have easily hurt a passenger in the back seat."
Reader views (2)
All sorts of stuff flies around in a collision, whether you tried to permanently fix it or not. Fact is that vehicles are meant to carry people, not stuff...and yet who doesn't put stuff in their car?
- Robert_775, Billings, MT
I think DVD players in cars should be banned. When I've driven behind cars that I have them, I've found them extremely distracting...
- Daizy, N England
