It wasn’t a safe year for motor vehicles here in the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 700 safety recalls filed in the country that affected close to 20 million vehicles, vehicle equipment and child car seats.
The NHTSA was there along the way, helping to identify defects that weren’t reported by manufacturers. The agency identified close to 10 million vehicles and close to 100,000 items of vehicle equipment, including child safety seats and tires, that were recalled for defects.
“Every day millions of motorists are safe on our nation’s roadways because of the work and dedication of our defect investigation and compliance teams here at NHTSA,” said Ray Lahood with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Our Jupiter car accident attorneys understand that staying up to date with recalls is critical in ensuring your safety out there on our roadways. One of the best way that consumers can do this is by visiting Safercar.gov. On this federal website, you can specifically look up the vehicles in your household or you can browse a list of the latest recalls. You can also sign up for Recall Alerts to get the information sent directly to you as it’s released.
Officials with the NHTSA’a Office of Defects Investigation as well as the Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance look for these kinds of recalls. They’re constantly reviewing information to find potential safety defect trends. Some of these sources include fan sites, bulletin boards, auto websites, early reporting data, consumer complaints, popular magazines, trade publications and even technical service bulletins.
Throughout the last 3 years, officials with the NHTSA have been able to release more than 400 recalls, involving more than 20 million vehicles and products.
The NHTSA wants to thank you! In 2012, there were close to 42,000 consumer complaints reported to the Administration regarding potential safety defects. There were close to 49,500 reported in 2011 and more than 65,000 reported in 2010.
Since beginning in 1966, the NHTSA has been holding automakers accountable for their designs. Unfortunately, there are some that slip through the cracks and endanger motorists. Since the beginning, there have been more than 15,000 recalls including more than 500 million vehicles and 85 million items of equipment.
Still, there were many vehicles that were left on our roadways even after these defects were announced. Automakers don’t always do their job in notifying their customers about these problems. You may even remember the Toyota recalls. Toyota ended up owing more than $1 billion over hundreds of lawsuits because the acceleration problems they were having were not properly disclosed in a timely fashion.
If you know of any safety issues that you’re having, you’re urged to make a report. You can File a Complaint with Safercar.gov, too. Just visit the site and drop a line. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the latest recalls. Knowing about a problem and taking the proper steps to correct it can keep you safer in the event of an accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, contact Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
AAA Helping Elderly Drivers to Find the Perfect Car, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, December 5, 2012
South Florida Driving Safety: Flooded Vehicles, Hidden Dangers, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, December 3, 2012