UNDATED, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — In order to help drivers ensure that the vehicle they are driving is safe, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched their first-ever Vehicle Safety Recalls Week as of March 2.
The purpose of the awareness week is to encourage drivers to check if the vehicle they are driving has had any recalls issued for it.
The reason for selecting this week in particular is due to Daylight Savings time, which is set to occur on Sunday, March 8.
“Traditionally, this day has been a cue to check smoke detector batteries as you change your clocks,” the organization said in a statement. “You should also make it a habit to check for vehicle safety recalls when daylight saving time begins and ends.”
The NHTSA is actively working to make this process as easy as possible for motorists using a three-step approach:
- Check your 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), located on the lower left of your car’s windshield, the label inside your driver side doorjamb or your insurance documents.
- Search using your VIN at NHTSA.gov/Recalls. Your search will tell you if there’s an open safety recall affecting your vehicle and what steps to take.
- Get your vehicle repaired for free immediately if you have an open recall. Follow the steps indicated by the response to your VIN search. Your vehicle’s manufacturer is required by law to address your recall—and again it’s a FREE repair.
The NHTSA says that they administered almost 900 safety recalls affecting over 38 million vehicles in 2019. However, only about 75% of vehicles recalled in a given year get fixed.
Being in the other 25% puts drivers and passengers at risk of accidents and injury.
“In Michigan alone, there are still over 200,000 vehicles that have not had their airbags replaced by recall,” Director of the Office of Defects Investigation for the NHTSA Steve Ridella said. “It’s a very serious issue, every vehicle recall is a safety recall. It means a component in your vehicle needs to be either fixed or replaced.”
More information about how to check for a recall can be found online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls/vehicle-safety-recalls-week.
