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Many vehicle recalls have made headlines over the past few years. With the Takata airbag recall, the Ford door latch dilemma, and GM’s fire hazard scandal, vehicle defects have gotten a lot of press and made many wonder if car safety is going downhill. The answer to this question is a little ambiguous because the numbers suggest “yes” while reality may tell us the answer is “no.” It’s all in how you look at it.
OK, so why does a record-breaking number of recalls prove that vehicle safety is improving? Well, to understand the why you need to understand the how.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), automakers recalled a record 51.2 million vehicles in 868 separate recalls in 2015. This recall amount narrowly surpassed the previous year’s mark of 51 million vehicles in 779 recalls. To the layman, 100 million defective cars in two years doesn’t seem encouraging for safety ratings. However, the fact that the number of recalls is going up means that more and more issues are being discovered and fixed before they cause catastrophic injuries.
Mark Rosekind, a NHTSA administrator, explained that the record year for recalls in 2015 goes to show how the agency and automakers are both working to increase their commitment to enforcing safety regulations. As regulators and automakers begin to work together, potential defects that may have gone uninvestigated in the past are now getting the full attention they need as a result of the following:
Although the increase of these safety measures inevitably increases recall rates, the overall outcome produces safer and more reliable vehicles, which in turn creates safer roads.
The Andrew Kim Law Firm is dedicated to bringing you safety information in our effort to reduce the numbers of accidents, injuries, and fatalities on Washington roads. Feel free to browse this information on our site.
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11900 NE 1st Street
Suite 300
Bellevue, WA 98005
Phone: (425) 289-1990
Fax: (425) 289-1991
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Bellevue Office
11900 NE 1st Street
Suite 300
Bellevue, WA 98005
Phone: (425) 289-1990
Fax: (425) 289-1991