Biggest Safety Issues in 2018  

Last year, the Takata airbag remained one of the top safety issues in the automobile industry. The faulty airbag exploded when it deployed, causing serious, even fatal injuries to the occupants of the vehicle. As a result, approximately 37 million vehicles have been recalled for nearly 50 million defective Takata airbags. As many as 70 million airbags are expected to be recalled by December 2019. As we look ahead to 2018, new safety issues have emerged in the auto industry that are cause for concern.

Kobe Steel Falsified Safety Data

Kobe Steel sells metal to a wide range of businesses, including major automakers like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. The company has been an industry giant for over a century. However, Kobe Steel is amid a major scandal after the company admitted to releasing fake data about the quality of certain aluminum and copper products. Kobe employees falsified the data on certificates to make it look like the products met specifications when they did not. The false data provided inaccurate information about the strength and durability of the aluminum and copper parts.

So far, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have said that they used the affected materials and are investigating the potential consequences to their vehicles. Other car companies like Ford, GM, and Mazda could not confirm that they have been affected but are looking closely at their supply chain. Unfortunately, the scandal has raised doubts about thousands of tons of material that was shipped to various companies for over 10 years.

Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving, or autonomous vehicles, are undoubtedly the wave of the future. It is just a matter of time before they are a common sight on roads and highways across the country. However, like any new technology, there are safety concerns that need to be considered. For example, people tend to be unpredictable. From an engineering standpoint, it can be difficult to design a self-driving car that can anticipate and appropriately respond to unpredictable changes in human behavior.

Another safety issue with self-driving cars is that there is currently no industry standard when it comes to how much human involvement is required to be considered a self-driving vehicle. This can create confusion, and potentially dangerous situations, when drivers get behind the wheel of an autonomous vehicle without fully understanding the car’s capabilities, and when they may need to engage. Additional testing on this new breed of vehicles will be necessary to address these concerns.

Baltimore Car Accident Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Protect the Rights of Injured Car Accident Victims

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a car accident, do not hesitate to contact the highly skilled Baltimore car accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. Whether the accident involved a self-driving car or one with defective parts, we will determine who is responsible for causing the accident and seek the maximum financial compensation you deserve for your injuries. We will not stop fighting until justice is served. To schedule a free, confidential consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.

Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent car accident victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.