Tragic news out of Texas, where a 17 year old teenager became the 10th US causality from the defective Takata airbag. Fort Bend deputies reported that 17-year-old Huma Hanif was dead within seconds of the airbag going off. According to authorities this was a low speed crash that she should have had no problem surviving. From the images of the crash, it looked to be an extremely low speed crash, and it doesn’t even look like there’s frame damage to the Civic.
Deputies reported that the Takata airbag in her 2002 Civic sent shards of metal into Hanif’s neck. Severing her arteries and causing her tragic death, the defective airbag is installed into millions of US vehicles.
For those who don’t know about this airbag, it’s one of the largest recalls and safety issues in recent memory. The inflator on the Takata airbag erupts and explodes, sending metal shrapnel into passengers. It’s one of 24 million airbags that have to be recalled in U.S, but Honda as well as other manufacturers are far behind the proverbial eight ball on this serious safety issue.
Affecting many different makes and models, there’s a good chance you have a defective airbag in your own car. There are problems with the Takata recall however, namely there isn’t enough parts to fix the millions of airbags with an issue.
What makes this issue even more tragic is that the family of the 17-year old said they never even received a recall notice. Honda says notices about the airbag recall have been sent out, but it’s clear that the consumer must take the initiative.
Fort Bend sheriff Troy Nehls has advice for those who own a vehicle with the dangerous Takata airbag.
“I wouldn’t drive it, I wouldn’t drive. This is the tenth fatality resulting in a default airbag in this vehicle, so that’s really up to you.”
The damage done by the defective Takata airbag continues to mount, with 10 people that have lost their lives in the U.S. According to the NHTSA more than 100 people have been injured or hospitalized because of the airbag recall.
Take action now to make sure that your car is not affected by the nationwide recall. Although Honda and Acura are two of the major brands, there’s over 14 manufacturers involved, with countless models with faulty Takata airbag. Make sure to check your vehicle now by heading over to safercar.gov with your vehicle’s VIN number. If you own a Honda or Acura, take the time to check at www.recalls.honda.com or www.recalls.acura.com and you can also check with your local dealership.