safety

The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, has introduced a bill to expand the authority of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall unsafe vehicles and increase automotive safety funding. The bill S.2559 was proposed due to the number of recent recalls and vehicle safety concerns.

Ford has issued six separate recalls that affect 100,610 vehicles in North America after finding safety issues through internal tests and warranty claims. The company has stated there have been no injuries, accidents or fires reported from any of these defects.

Many manufacturers design a product first, then attempt to “fix” the design later to meet the applicable safety standard. Prior knowledge of the applicable safety standard and its requirements for the product will help meet deadlines, keep design costs down, and result in a properly designed product.