Seat heat can get sore

14 October 2003: A California safety researcher has warned that there is a need for design modifications in car seat heating units, following some recorded instances of drivers suffering burns from the heaters.

Tina Palmieri of Sacramento also says there must be further consumer education efforts related to the risks associated with the heaters. She and her colleagues conclude that people with decreased sensation or immobility are at increased risk and should not use car seat heaters.

As part of their argument, they presented the case of a 48-year-old patient with long-standing paraplegia who sustained third-degree burns on his buttock during the initial drive of a new car with seat heaters.

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