While returning from a baseball game in New York city, on Tuesday, September 12, 2000, my nine year old daughter fell asleep in the back seat of the Pathfinder. Somehow the seat belt she was wearing became twisted around her so that she had both the shoulder harness cacross her chest and the lap belt around her waist. When we stopped, she awakened, released her belt and the belt retracted. She began to cry saying that she was stuck and could not move. I went to her aide and tried to free her from the harness. Unfortunately, with every move the belt just retracted and would not release. I asked her to try and slip out of the belt. Big mistake. The belt retracted more until it was around the thinest part of her midrift. She began to have trouble breathing, and combined with the panic that was beginning to set in began to struggle even more. I tugged on that belt. I reassured her we would get her out. I closed the door and reopened the door. Nothing would release that belt. I removed the plastic cap where the belt was contained. I had tools. I figured I could simply unbolt the strap. No dice. The bolt does not match up with the hole. Now I had a choice to make. Let the child suffer, rip the plastic coverings of the car off, or cut the belt. I cut the belt off my child. I thought this important enough to report for one major reason. What if there had been an accident and my child was strapped in the seat unable to move, and a fire ensued. We would both have been consumed. I know the belt works. It keeps one in place. However, maybe some safety device could be devised which when released would free the belt. I can only imagine what it will take before someone figures out that there is some danger to what I am reporting.

- Albany, NY, USA