Questioning NHTSA Approved Regional Recalls for Exploding Airbags
September, 2014
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members: “If one reads through the recall documents available on the NHTSA website it’s clear every manufacturer involved in this recall is willing to comply with NHTSA’s suggested “regional field action.” The field action, issued on June 11, 2014, calls for the replacement of air bags in certain vehicles located in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On that same date (June 11, 2014) NHTSA opened an investigation to determine what is causing these air bags to spray potentially deadly fragments at drivers and passengers when the air bags deploy.““While this recall is similar to the GM and Toyota recalls there are some important differences. First, the recall is (so far) regional in nature. It only applies to vehicles in specific locations because the nature of the air bag problem appears climate related. Takata is claiming only high humidity will cause the air bags to deteriorate and eventually malfunction. Yet one of the fatalities linked to Takata air bags (shrapnel from the air bag cut a women, causing her to bleed to death) occurred in Richmond, Virginia in 2009. That same year another women was killed in a minor accident in Oklahoma from an exploding Takata air bag. Another air bag incident, also involving hot plastic and metal shrapnel, occurred in Los Angeles just three months ago. The first reported injury related to shrapnel from a Takata air bag deployment took place in 2004 — in Alabama. None of these locations are part of NHTSA’s June “field action” (NHTSA’s documents don’t label this action a recall, and every manufacturer response letter clearly noted that no “safety defect” determination has been made).”
Regional recalls provide additional evidence of NHTSA driving under the influence of the auto industry — government puppets protecting profits rather than people.
Lou
