NHTSA Complaint #10088727 — 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON

CD PLAYER ON THE 2000 NEON IS MOUNTED ON THE FLOOR. ...AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK OF CENTER DASHBOARD EQUIPMENT. BEYOND A WORKING REACH OF MOST DRIVERS. *JB I FEEL MY DAUGHTER'S LINE OF SIGHT WAS OBSCURED AS SHE REACHED DOWN TO PUT IN A CD. SHE HAD JUST STARTED DRIVING THIS CAR 2 WEEKS PRIOR. SHE DROVE IT 30 MILES TO WORK IN THE NEXT TOWN. THIS CD ALIGNMENT IS SUCH THAT EVEN I (WHO IS 4" TALLER THAN MY DAUGHTER) WOULD NOT REACH THE CD PLAYER WITHOUT COMPROMISING MY ABILITY TO DRIVE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MY CONCERN WOULD BE JOINED WITH OTHERS: WHERE THIS ISSUE WOULD BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO RAISE THE AWARENESS OF AUTOS THAT ARE BUILT IN A RISKY WAY. ... WHERE AUTO MAKERS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONSTRUCT ACCESSORIES AT THE EXTREME LIMITS OF THE REACH OF THE DRIVER. I WOULD BE WILLING TO BE A PART OF A WATCHDOG GROUP THAT WOULD TAKE THIS ISSUE FORWARD. ILLUSTRATING THE ISSUE, ASKING FOR CHANGE. 8 WEEKS AGO MY DAUGHTER DIED IN THAT HEAD ON COLLISION. YESTERDAY, AFTER THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT WAS COMPLETED, I WAS ALLOWED TO TAKE THE CD PLAYER OUT TO SEE IF SHE WAS USING IT. AND YES, THERE WAS A KIDS CD IN THE MACHINE THAT MY WIFE AND I HAD NOT PLAYED. (I HAD NEVER USED THE CD PLAYER. MY WIFE ONLY MINIMALLY. I THINK OUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER WAS ATTRACTED TO TRY TO USE IT, EVEN WHEN IT WAS BEYOND REASONABLE REACH.) MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MY DAUGHTER REACHED DOWN TO MANIPULATE THIS FACTORY INSTALLED CD PLAYER AND VEERED FROM THE DRIVING LANE. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF BRAKING. JUST THAT QUICK, SECONDS, SHE WAS HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. 2 MONTHS AGO ON A CLEAR DAY MY DAUGHTER DROVE HER PLYMOUTH NEON ACROSS THE CENTER LINE AND INTO AN ON COMING CAR. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION I WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE OTHER PARTY THAT THEY COULD NOT SEE HER FACE AS SHE CAME FORWARD INTO THEM. *JB