Hundreds of thousands of South Florida residents are driving recalled vehicles with defective airbag inflators that could blast shrapnel into the passenger compartment upon impact. In response, dozens of civic and community leaders have joined together to launch an urgent, region-wide effort to get more than a half million unrepaired defective airbag inflators off the roads in Dade and Broward counties.
While the recall affects vehicles from 19 automakers, drivers of some older vehicles face an even greater risk. These models include 2001 and 2002 Honda Civics and Accords, the 2002 and 2003 Acura TL, the 2002 Honda Odyssey and CR-V, the 2003 Acura CL and the 2003 Honda Pilot.
According to outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, "with as high as a 50 percent chance of a dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a crash, these vehicles are unsafe and need to be repaired immediately."
At least 11 Americans - including one Floridian - have been killed by defective airbag inflators, and approximately 180 Americans have suffered serious injuries, including cuts or lacerations to the face or neck, broken or fractured facial bones, loss of eyesight, and broken teeth. The individual from Florida that died was driving an older, higher-risk vehicle. In this and nearly all other cases in the U.S., the fatal airbag explosion was triggered by a minor collision that the driver should have been able to walk away from. Thousands of these higher-risk vehicles are still on the road in South Florida, but have yet to be been repaired.
The risk for serious injury or death is particularly acute in South Florida due to high temperatures and humidity that exacerbate the defect in the airbag inflator. A new community mobilization effort called "Airbag Recall: Miami-Dade" is educating the public about the magnitude of the recall and helping affected drivers schedule life-saving, free repairs with local dealerships, where replacement parts are available for higher-risk vehicles. Similar community efforts are already underway in Texas, and are expected to expand into Broward County early this year.
In addition, as part of ongoing efforts to address this recall, on Dec. 9, 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a new repair prioritization plan designed to accelerate the availability of replacement parts for vehicles impacted by the recall.
"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is doing everything possible to make sure that there are no more preventable injuries or deaths because of these dangerous air bag inflators," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. "All vehicle owners should regularly check their vehicles for recalls and go get them fixed at no cost as soon as replacement parts are available."
Local residents can find out whether their vehicle has a defective airbag inflator at www.AirbagRecall.com. If impacted by the recall, they can contact any of their automaker's nearby dealerships to schedule a free repair. South Florida residents who may be waiting for replacement parts for their vehicle, or who are not affected by the current recall, are also encouraged to call their local dealer and confirm their contact information is up to date so they receive recall-related updates going forward.
