By: Hemanth Ramesh December, 27, 2019

According to data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), frontal airbags reduce fatalities by 14% even when seatbelts were not in use. Standard airbags might also help individuals lower their car insurance premiums.  In 2017 alone, 2,790 lives were saved due to the deployment of airbags, an increase from 2,422 lives in 2012.

According to the temperature and humidity, vehicles in different states have been categorized under different zones. Vehicles in Zone A are most at risk. The maps below shows the states that have been categorized under Zone A. States with medium risk have been categorised under Zone B, and colder regions with low risk have been classified under Zone C. Audi has the most number models recalled at 16 followed by Honda and Ferrari at 14 and 12 models respectively.

Recently, tens of millions of automobiles with Takata airbags were recalled. These airbags were at the risk of exploding when faced with long term exposure to heat and humidity, resulting in injuries and death. Moreover, these particular airbags also had the possibility of being underinflated in the scenario of an automobile accident. In the event of a crash, the rupture of an inflator could result in metal fragments hitting the driver or other passengers, increasing the risk of injury or death.

On the 4th of December, an additional 1.4 million vehicles were recalled due to defective Takata airbags, thus bringing the total number of affected vehicles to a staggering 65-70 million. The massive number of vehicle recalls is expected to begin by Jan 24, 2020.

The vehicles that are most at risk from the Takata airbags include some of the 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles, 2006 Ford Ranger, and Mazda B-Series Trucks. It is advised that these vehicles should not be driven at any cost with the Takata Airbags. Ford and Mazda will be providing the affected vehicle owners with towing and loaner services.

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