Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Gets Praise, Money for Recall Program

The federal government and the NHTSA gave rare praise and money to the State of Ohio for their proactive auto recall program. The Ohio BMV will receive $1.3 million to continue its program of notifying customers of vehicle recalls. The program may lay the groundwork for a federal program to be adopted by the U.S.

Vehicle Safety Recall Notifications

The Ohio BMV was among the first to launch a coordinated effort to alert drivers concerning vehicle recalls. The effort was launched in January of 2020 and uses the state’s vehicle registration program to check for outstanding recalls. The program, which was created at no extra cost to taxpayers, delivers personalized information concerning outstanding recalls when they send out registration renewal notices.

The federal government likes this. Why? Firstly, the program effectively makes use of existing infrastructure. The NHTSA had a similar idea of alerting customers to recalls, but their idea involved the installation of an app that would alert drivers when their vehicles were being recalled. The major problem with that is that no one wants the app on their phone because it takes up space and provides limited utility. The Ohio program has the benefit of not requiring the driver to do anything other than reading their registration renewal.

Don’t Car Manufacturers Have to Warn Customers About Recalls?

Yes. Car manufacturers are required by law to ensure that their customers get recall notices in a timely fashion. This means sending out notices through the mail or through email. Not everyone who gets a notice will see it. Some folks drive with uncorrected vehicles for years while their vehicles become more dangerous year after year. To prevent these sorts of accidents from occurring, the federal government along with state governments have sought ways of creating redundant checks to ensure that dangerous vehicles are repaired once a recall has been initiated.

In 2019, there were 966 safety recalls hitting the auto industry. The NHTSA estimates that about 25% of those vehicles never get taken to the dealership for repairs.

What Happens if I Don’t Bother to Act on the Recall?

Some folks are just too busy or lazy to take their vehicles down to the dealership to be fixed. They figure that whatever is wrong with their vehicle will never happen to them and so, why bother? Aside from taking an awful chance with your own life and the lives of your family members, you are also running the risk of being liable for any accident in which your car is involved.

If a car manufacturer issues a recall for a dangerous part and you don’t both to get your vehicle fixed in a reasonable time, then if the part malfunctions and causes injury to any of your passengers or other drivers on the road, then you are absolutely liable for the injuries you cause.

Talk to an Auto Manufacture and Liability Attorney Today

The Coral Gables tire defect attorneys at Halpern Santos & Pinkert file lawsuits on behalf of clients who were injured by dangerous or defective auto parts, including tires. If an auto part has malfunctioned causing your injury, you are entitled to recover damages for your injuries. Call today to learn more.

Resource:

sidneydailynews.com/news/193548/ohio-bureau-of-motor-vehicles-awarded-federal-funding-to-continue-safety-program

https://www.tiredefectattorney.com/ford-bronco-sport-suvs-recalled-due-to-rollover-risk/