Most of us drive vehicles to and from work and to take our kids where they need to go each day. This means we need our vehicles to be safe and reliable for our loved ones and families. Unfortunately, sometimes vehicles have faulty parts such as tires, door locks, brakes, air bags and more. This is when we have to put our trust into companies and manufacturers to tell us when there is a recall on these items so that we can make sure our families stay as safe as possible. However, what happens when the system that issues recalls for things like defective tires also fails. Then we have a big problem because our safety is at risk.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and Dr. Rob Molloy, acting director of the NTSB’s Office of Highway Safety, “The federal recall system that is supposed to keep potentially dangerous car tires off the road is “completely broken.” The investigators said that while each year tire problems cause 33,000 accidents and kill 500-plus motorists, only one in five defective tires is being taken out of service via recalls. More than half of recalled tires remain in use.
According to a National Transportation Safety Board report, the problem is that tire manufacturers can’t reach tire owners to warn them. Independent tire dealers aren’t required to register the tires they sell with manufacturers, and so most don’t. Though 3.2 million tires were recalled between 2009 and 2013, most of the drivers using them were unaware of the recalls.
NTSB experts told the board that even mechanics have no way of knowing when tires have been recalled. NTSB Vice Chairman T. Bella Dinh-Zarr asked, “Why can’t a service tech tell me if my tires are recalled.” Investigator Robert Squire answered by saying that, “The main reason for that, is there’s no easy way to do it.” The founder of Safety Research and Strategies, Sean Kane said that, “drivers would be surprised to learn that there’s no government or industry database t”I think it’s shocking to consumers to know that when they go into a shop to have their tires inspected, that no one can tell them whether they’ve got a recalled tire on their car in 2015.”
In one defective tire case in 2014, The driver thought he had an issue with a tire, but since the defect was internal couldn’t find the problem and kept driving. The tire failed and the van flipped over. Two passengers were killed eight were injured. The tire had been recalled more than a year earlier because of an internal defect, but hadn’t been registered with the tiremaker.
The panel of NTSB investigators unanimously recommended that Congress require tire registration, and also recommended that drivers register their tires with the manufacturers.
If you or someone you care about was injured or died as the result of a car accident caused by a tire you didn’t know was defective, then you should contact the car accident and defective tire lawyers with The Higgins Firm. We care about our clients and will work with you to gather any evidence that may be needed for your case. Then we will see to it that you receive the compensation you are entitled to for what you have been through.