The delight of motorists, in the sense that they contribute to their safety, the cross of the companies that produce them. The airbags had already bankrupted Japanese supplier Takata, whose faulty systems had been linked to the deaths of at least 30 people and the injuries of hundreds, and led to a staggering series of recalls totaling some 100 million vehicles worldwide. global. After an 8-year investigation, the Atlantic Research Corporation (ARC) of Knoxville, in the state of Tennessee, has ended up in the crosshairs of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), whose alleged problems with the life-saving bearing inflation systems should lead to a new maxi campaign for a total of 67 million vehicles.
Takata airbag, another 30 million recalls in the United States
Although motivating it with “excess of caution”, General Motors has announced that it has accepted the request for a million cars also following an accident involving a Chevrolet Travers a couple of months ago. During the accident, the inflating system had broken while the airbag was triggered, causing injuries to the driver in flight.
According to the NHTSA, the technology of the American supplier – which on its website declares 70 years of experience and collaborations with the Department of Defense in the field of propellants, also used since 1970 for car airbags – and the acquisition of a joint venture which he had also involved the Italian Gilardini – «they create an unreasonable risk». According to the authorities called upon to deal with road safety, it goes beyond simple injuries. The reason lies in the systems “that project metal fragments at the occupants rather than correctly inflating the airbag”.
The ARC disputes the conclusions of the NHTSA because they would be based on seven cases and, above all, complains about the need to demonstrate the correct functioning of 67 million systems produced over 18 years. The Tennessee-based company has stated that it intends to continue collaborating with the same authorities, but also with the builders. Those who use the ARC technologies under investigation are 12, including not only GM but also Chrysler itself, one of the brands of Stellantis, BMW, Hyundai and Kia.
