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Airbags
Airbags can significantly reduce the chance of death or injury in an accident. Defective airbags, however, can cause serious harm to drivers. The Center for Auto Safety is working to ensure that airbags are properly engineered and truly protect occupants in collisions.
Latest News
GM ignition-switch flaw reported to U.S. 7 years ago – 2/21/14
An ignition-switch problem that prompted General Motors Co. to recall almost 800,000 cars last week was identified in a 2007 report to U.S. regulators who then stopped short of ordering a defect investigation.
GM, the largest U.S. automaker, said six crash deaths may have resulted from faulty switches causing engines and air bags to turn off.
“Any crashes, deaths or injuries that occurred after 2007 shouldn’t have happened,” said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington-based advocacy group. “The agency shares as much blame as GM.”
G.M. Recalls Some Cars, but Not All, With Ignition Switch Problem – 2/20/14
General Motors in 2006 sent dealers a technical service bulletin warning that because of an ignition problem, a heavy key chain hanging from the ignition could turn off the engine on six models. But only two of those models were covered in last week’s recall of 778,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada for the problem that the automaker now says could keep air bags from deploying in a crash.