The recent news of recalls in the auto industry brings automotive safety to the forefront of our minds. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 42,000 deaths occur each year in automobile accidents. In fact, the NTHSA cites traffic crashes as the primary cause of debilitating injuries in the United States and the No. 1 killer of Americans under age 34.
In addition to staggering emotional costs, the annual economic loss to society because of these crashes, in terms of worker productivity, medical costs, insurance costs, etc., is estimated at more than $150 billion. Clearly, there is a need for dramatic improvement in motor vehicle safety. Getting unsafe vehicles off the road is integral to improving safety and saving lives.
The NHTSA issues vehicle safety standards and requires manufacturers to recall vehicles that have safety-related defects or do not meet Federal safety standards. Since 1966, more than 390 million cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and mopeds, as well as 46 million tires, 66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment, and 42 million child safety seats have been recalled to correct safety defects.
Manufacturers voluntarily initiate many of these recalls, while others are either influenced by NHTSA investigations or ordered by NHTSA via the courts. If a safety defect is discovered, the manufacturer must notify NHTSA, as well as vehicle or equipment owners, dealers, and distributors. The manufacturer is then required to remedy the problem at no charge to the owner.
To find out whether your automobile is subject to current recalls, Search for Recalls at the NHTSA website.
From NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Filed under: Feb 2010, News, Safety Tagged: | Auto, briggs, briggsauto, Honda, junction city, kansas, lawrence, Manhattan, nhtsa, recall, Topeka, Toyota
