Vehicle manufacturers who issue recalls will now be legally required to display a specific warning label on all notices that have been mailed to consumers, according to a recent mandate issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA announced this new requirement last month, and as of February 18, 2014, manufacturers must prominently display these new warning labels on mailed notices so that:
- Consumers can easily recognize them.
- These important vehicle recall notices won’t be mistaken for junk mail.
As the Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx has explained, “recalls only work if consumers are aware of them.” With vehicle manufacturers now being required to include prominent labels on recall notices, the hope is that consumers “can act quickly to get their vehicles, child restraints, tires or other motor vehicle equipment fixed.”
While NHTSA officials are currently coordinating their efforts with state and federal regulators to enforce the inclusion of this new recall warning labels on all mailed vehicle recall notices, it is reported that officials will also be keeping a lookout for marketing materials that may attempt to mimic this labeling and confuse consumers. Officials have not yet stated what the penalties for such copycat techniques will be; however, industry experts expect these penalties to be significant in order to deter advertisers from deluding the new safety labels.
New Recall Apps Also Released by NHTSA
In addition to the new vehicle recall labels, the NHTSA has also recently released a few new apps that are intended to:
- Provide up-to-date vehicle recall information to motorists/consumers
- Allow motorists to easily report problems with their vehicles to the NHTSA directly.
Ultimately, the NHTSA hopes that the new tools aimed at consumers will be effective in improving motorists’ safety while keeping vehicle manufacturers’ accountable when equipment malfunctions.
St. Louis Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident that may have been caused by a defective car part or a malfunctioning piece of equipment, contact the St. Louis motor vehicle accident lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law. We have a long-standing commitment to serving our clients, and we are experienced at aggressively defending our clients’ rights in any legal setting.
Since 1993, our lawyers have been successfully representing our clients in various areas of personal injury litigation, including motor vehicle accident lawsuits. Our steadfast commitment to the pursuit of justice in every case we handle means that we will work tirelessly to help our clients achieve the best possible resolutions to their cases. One of our primary goals is to help accident victims secure the highest possible settlements for their claims so they can focus on their recovery and future.
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