To Be A Recall or Not To Be . . .
The question then becomes if it is a life threatening safety feature failure, , , is it potential or proven. . .
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For example the most common known widespread safety feature failure is the Takata Airbag. Honda used the Takata enclosure and the design has proven to be deadly. GM used their own enclosure design and there is no proof that it is deadly, to date. However it was made by Takata with the same chemical explosive and is therefor potentially life threatening.
In this case Honda would get a High Priority Recall and GM would get a Low Priority Recall FAIL Sticker.
The difference would be the time frame to get a repair or replacement done so your vehicle can get a Road Worthy Safety Inspection PASS Sticker.
A Highest Priority Safety Feature Failure means there is need to be resolved for present safety. A High Priority Failure allows up to six months to resolve safety issues and a Low Priority Fail Sticker allows up to fifteen months to repair or replace the failed safety feature or in cases still pending to get the next year’s, to be checked again, FAIL Inspection Sticker.
Understandably most that do not have a yearly safety inspection or understand the full benefits are thinking this is a hassle and just one more reason for the government to keep us compliant.
Instead I am asking everyone to simply think about spending less than one hour per year to make sure our vehicles are safe and how this will assure all the other vehicles on the road with us are also road worthy.
Even the most safety minded, self included, do not keep checking the NHTSA Recall Database. A lot of us are also too busy with our jobs and family life, like my working daughter also in college raising my spirited two year old grandchild, to pay attention to tire wear or to remember to replace worn out windshield wipers between trips to the grocery store.
For example in Massachusetts the vehicle is already logged into the DOT Database by VIN Number to check how well the vehicle is running with a series of emissions tests. It would be very simple to also check for recalls that are also listed by VIN and incorporate this all into one inspection sticker.
The certified shop technicians also check 14 key safety components like exhaust leaks, brake function, brake lights, headlight function and alignment, tail lights, front and rear turn signal lights, tire tread wear, windshield integrity for cracks, windshield wipers, mirrors, horn, seat-belts, and even suspension components to make sure our pot holes have not loosened steering ability and all this takes about a half hour.
The questions I am answering is how to keep us all informed about all potential or proven safety failures and how to encourage all manufacturers to not keep putting off repairs or part replacements with a very simple and obvious goal; to keep all vehicles on the road with a PASS Safety Sticker.
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Link to Web Page: http://www.devco-design.com/design/dot/stickers/safety-inspection-system.htm
Link to Copy Submitted to the NHTSA via the Federal Register:
DOT / NHTSA / Safety Inspection & Sticker Design (September 2019) http://www.devco-design.com/design/dot/DOT-NHTSA-Safety-Feature-Compliance_David-DeVeau.pdf
DOT / NHTSA / Automated Vehicle Safety Inspection Criteria (August 2019) http://www.devco-design.com/design/dot/DOT-NHTSA-ADS-DV-Safety-Compliance_David-DeVeau.pdf
Airbag Enclosure Design Recall Conditions (July 2019) http://www.devco-design.com/design/dot/DOT-NHTSA-Airbag-Recall-Delay-Petitions_David-DeVeau_NHTSA.pdf
Airbag Design Standard Update (July 2019) http://www.devco-design.com/design/dot/DOT-NHTSA-Airbag-Title-49-Amendments_David-DeVeau.pdf
