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NHTSA Details More Than 17.8 Million Products Recalled in 2012

January 17: Manufacturers filed more than 650 safety recalls, affecting over 17.8 million vehicles, child seats and vehicle equipment, in 2012. NHTSA, the nation's top auto regulatory agency, played a significant role by influencing the recall of more than 9 million vehicles and 60,000 items of vehicle equipment, including tires and child safety seats last year. Read More  

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Tips to Be Prepared Before Taking to the Roads This Winter

January 14: NHTSA is urging motorists to take precautions to ensure vehicles are in optimal driving condition and properly equipped, especially in inclement weather. In particular, NHTSA wants owners to take vehicles in for a tune-up and to conduct routine maintenance – ensuring tires are in top shape and windshield wipers and defrosters work properly. Read More  

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New Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles are Proposed

January 7: Proposal will help keep everyone using nation’s streets and roadways safe, whether they are motorists, bicyclists or pedestrians, and especially the blind and visually impaired. They will be able to detect the presence, direction and location of vehicles that don't make noise when they are operating at low speeds. Read More  

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Toyota Agrees to Pay Record $17.35 Million
in Civil Penalties

December 18: NHTSA announced that Toyota will pay the maximum allowable fine in response to the agency's assertion that the automaker failed to report a safety defect in a timely manner, involving 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h models. Federal law requires automakers to notify NHTSA within five business days of determining that a safety defect exists. Read More  

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DOT Releases Two Major Updates to Enhance Motorcoach Safety

December 12: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has taken steps to enhance motorcoach safety by updating its safety plan and by making it easier for consumers to file complaints about unsafe companies and drivers. Read More

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NHTSA Alerting Consumers to Dangers of Counterfeit Air Bags

October 10: Problem involves sale of counterfeit air bags for use as replacement parts in vehicles that have been involved in a crash. While these air bags look nearly identical to certified, original equipment parts — including bearing the insignia and branding of major automakers — NHTSA testing showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the air bag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment. Read More  

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Sign Up Now to Get
Email Recall Alerts
For Your Vehicles

NHTSA has made it easier and faster to receive important email alerts on recalls for up to 5 vehicles. You can also subscribe for alerts on recalls for child seats and tires. Read More

Recent Research & Data

  • NCSA Research Note: Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes as a Leading Cause of Death in the United States, 2008 & 2009, For the first time since 1981 (when data was first available), motor vehicle traffic crashes were not among the top 10 causes of death in the United States. Motor vehicle crashes were the 11th leading cause of death in 2009. In 2008, motor vehicle traffic crashes were the 9th leading cause of death overall. Fatalities in motor vehicle crashes have declined by about 25 percent since 2005, influenced largely by a significant drop in crashes and fatalities involving the younger population.
  • NCSA Research Note: Motorcycle Helmet Use in 2011 – Overall Results, The use of DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets increased significantly to 66 percent in 2011, up from 54 percent in 2010. This percentage is based on the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) the only survey that provides nationwide probability-based observed data on helmet use in the U.S.
  • NCSA Crash*Stats: Lives Saved in 2010 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws, In 2010, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 12,546 lives. Lives saved have been produced by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics & Analysis since 1975. The counts are estimates that are calculated using the effectiveness of each device or law that is mentioned.

NCSA Traffic Safety Fact Sheet 2010 “Alcohol-Impaired Driving”, The fact sheet presents detailed data about 2010 fatal alcohol-impaired driving crashes in which there were 10,228 persons killed. A total of 9,695 drivers (85%) who were involved in fatal crashes had a BAC level at or above .08. The most frequently reported BAC was 0.18. The rate of alcohol impairment among fatally involved drivers was four times higher at night than during the day.

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23rd ESV Student Safety Technology Design Competition 

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The Student Safety Technology Design Competition gives young scholars an exciting opportunity to design, build, and demonstrate a cost-effective conceptual scale model of a vehicle safety technology.