airbag recalls

Imagine you’ve just gotten into your car. You turn it on and BOOM your airbag deploys for no reason. Or, your car hits a pothole, and BANG your airbag explodes from the steering wheel.

During accidents, airbags save lives – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that frontal airbags saved 25,782 lives between 1987 and 2008. But, what about when an airbag deploys for no reason? Car manufacturers have had to recall car and truck models because the airbags inexplicably deployed. When that happens, there are major risks associated with your airbags, including risks to your hearing.

In an accident, your airbag needs to deploy in the milliseconds between when the airbag controller senses a collision and when you slam into the steering wheel. In order to do this, the airbag has to deploy with explosive force, at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. That generates a lot of noise.

Heard about the exploding Takata airbags installed in many cars? Upon impact, these airbags explode with such force that they propel metallic shrapnel into the car, and, tragically in some instances, into the car’s driver or passenger. So far, worldwide, 16 people have died and 180 more have been injured.

This, of course, led to multiple lawsuits against car manufacturers and others, seeking compensation for victims, and to provide for the removal of millions of Takata airbags and installation of safe bags.

Today, four car manufacturers–Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, and BMW–agreed to pay a total of $553 to settle the lawsuits that had been filed against them. $553 MILLION. It’s an enormous amount of money, of course.

Articles Tagged with airbag recalls

Do You Hear That? Tinnitus and Hearing Loss: The Unexpected Consequences of Your Airbag Deploying

Maybe Having To Pay $553 Million Will Make Them Think Twice……