Wireless Wednesday: Vehicle Safety Recalls with Dr. Stephen Ridella

U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Urges Consumers to Utilize Free Resources to Check for Recalls

*Vehicle Safety Recalls Week is March 6th through March 12th*

Rick is joined by Dr. Stephen Ridella, Director, Office of Defects Investigation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Have a listen:

As we prepare for Daylight Saving Time on March 12, 2023, many Americans are reminded to conduct simple safety checks around the home, such as changing the batteries in their smoke detectors and furnace filters. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues its effort to ‘spring forward’ to safety by encouraging consumers to check their vehicles for safety recalls twice a year—timed conveniently with the beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time. During the annual Vehicle Safety Recalls Week, drivers are urged to utilize NHTSA’s free VIN lookup tool on NHTSA.gov and the SaferCar app.

Did you know?

Your dealer can fix your vehicle safety recall for free! Manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it or offering a refund.

By using the VIN lookup tool, you can access recall information provided by the manufacturer that may not be posted yet on NHTSA’s site.

Your dealer can fix your recall for free. Manufacturers are required to fix the problem by repairing it, replacing it or offering a refund.

The SaferCar app can quickly notify consumers of a recall on any of their vehicles and related equipment such as tires or car seats.

Topics:

What is Vehicle Safety Recalls Week and why does it fall around Daylight Saving Time?

How can we find out if our vehicle has an open recall?

If a vehicle has an open recall, how do you move forward with getting it serviced?

How does keeping track of vehicle recalls keep our roads safer?

Where can listeners go for more information?

For more information, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

Dr. Stephen Ridella is Director of the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). His office is responsible for the investigation, inspection and testing necessary to identify and correct safety-related defects in motor vehicles and equipment. ODI also oversees and manages all motor vehicle and equipment recalls from notification through completion. In addition to this position, in his 17 years at NHTSA, Stephen has been Division Chief of Human Injury Research as well as the Director of the Office of Vehicle Crashworthiness Research.

Prior to joining NHTSA, Stephen held industry engineering and management positions at the General Motors Research Labs doing crash injury research, EASi Engineering coordinating projects in occupant simulation and TRW Automotive (now ZF) conducting vehicle safety and restraint systems design and performance. He has published extensively on safety issues including crash data analysis, vehicle and occupant crash simulation techniques, and impact injury research throughout his career.

Stephen holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Microbiology and Bioengineering respectively from the University of Michigan. He also holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit and a PhD in Machine and Vehicle Systems from the Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences at Chalmers Technological University in Gothenburg, Sweden.