It was night time on South Carolina Highway 522 as a 52-year-old driver crossed paths with an escaped cow. He tried to avoid the cow, but it was too late, and the 2006 model Ford Ranger bounced off the cow and into a fence before coming to a stop. The police would later claim that the accident wasn’t as severe as it sounds, and that the man should have survived. So why did the driver from Georgia die from the injuries he sustained during the crash?
How Dangerous Are Takata Airbags?
Airbag manufacturer Takata Corp. has been in the news lately because of the multi-million dollar fines they have racked up from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These fines were given because the company delayed a recall after over 100 people were injured-and nine people worldwide were killed-by defective airbag inflators the company produced. Now the company is embroiled in controversy as the largest automotive recall in history tries to collect and replace these defective devices, but the recall comes too late for this 52-year-old man from Georgia.
Do You Need To Be Worried About The Takata Airbag Recall?
This crash victim suffered fatal injuries when he was pelted by shrapnel from one of these defective inflators, and is the 10th fatal victim worldwide. Though experts are unsure of the specific defect that causes these devices to malfunction, most suspect it has to do with their exposure to moisture rich environments. So far most of the victims have come from humid regions: Malaysia, Florida, and now Georgia. This makes it important for Georgians to know all they can about this recall.
What Do I Need To Know About The Takata Recall?
Most of the victims of the airbag inflator defect were drivers and passengers in Honda vehicles, but this latest tragedy is the first to happen in a non-Honda vehicle. The Takata airbag recall-which was expanded because of this case-includes vehicles manufactured by Honda, BMW, Chrysler, Acura, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Subaru, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen.
More cars could soon be added to the list, so keep an eye on our blog, Facebook and Twitter for more updates.
