Paul Dreher Director of Personal Insurance View Bio

Airbag recall on millions of vehicles

In 2013, airbag manufacturer, Takata, announced that some models of airbags could deploy at the wrong time, resulting in car accidents and/or injury. At first, only six types of cars were included in the recall. Now, 34 million vehicles in the US, and another 7 million globally, have been recalled due to improperly deploying airbags, and it doesn’t stop there. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the number will rise to 70 million vehicles recalled by 2019.

These airbags have already resulted in 10 accidental deaths and injuries for more than 100 people when the airbags were defective. However, Takata is not the only company with airbag issues and the NHTSA is launching investigations into multiple manufacturers. NHTSA advises that it could be the age of the airbags that is having a detrimental effect on how they function. Since the average car in the US is 11 years old, with many more vehicles older than 15 years, NHTSA is working with manufacturers and automobile companies to create safer technology and onboard diagnostic systems that could alert the driver to a malfunctioning airbag before it deploys in error.

Is Your Car on the Airbag Recall List?

Many drivers might be hastened to disable their airbags to avoid a tragic accident. But, the NHTSA does not believe this will help. Airbags help save thousands of lives every year. Instead, make sure you check your vehicle for airbag, and other, recalls on the NHTSA website. If you see your vehicle on the list, make sure to take appropriate actions regarding your vehicle to help protect yourself and your family. If you have any questions about how this affects your personal insurance coverage, please don’t hesitate to call a Lawley Personal Insurance representative today. Our associates will be happy to assist in any way possible to increase your safety and make sure you have proper coverage.

 

, , ,