A Bad Year for the Car Industry With faults and malfunctions being found left right and centre, it appears that it is turning out to be an incredibly unfortunate year for car manufacturers. Even more pressing is the impact these faults are having on car owners across the globe, with fatalities and injuries already being reported in the US and further afield. Honda and Nissan Recall Airbags Due to a defect in their passenger airbags, Honda and Nissan have yet again recalled millions of their vehicles in an attempt to avoid catastrophic accidents. An estimated 2.8 million cars will be recalled worldwide, including 2 million by Honda and 755,000 by Nissan. This latest vehicle recall brings the total up to 7 million across the globe. Deployment Error The exact nature of the fault was divulged by the car manufacturers in June and it is believed the fault lies in a deployment defect which "could cause the airbag inflator to rupture and deploy the airbag abnormally in a crash". The airbags, supplied by Takata Corp are also used by other car manufacturers, including Toyota. These companies are also expected to issue recalls. Faulty Switches The car industry seems to be suffering from an entire catalogue of misfortunes, as not only do car owners need to worry about faulty airbags, but according to the BBC, General Motor sig no red staff’s concerns about faulty ignition switches. Investigations show how faults were reported as early as 2005 but when a member of staff raised concerns, she was ignored. General Motors employee, Laura Andres was driving a Chevrolet Impala when she became aware of a “serious safety problem” with switches in the vehicle. Ms Andres emailed her superiors to notify them of the faults but her concerns were not investigated. A Hefty Fine It is believed that 13 deaths can be attributed to the faulty switches and GM has faced tough questioning in court over its “culture of secrecy”. This year alone, GM recalled 44 million vehicles due to the fault, and the company was fined $35m by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to report the fault. With drunk drivers, road rage and faulty car parts to contend with, the road seems be a frightening place to be. Yet, driving is a necessity for many people, and there are plenty of precautions you can take to keep safe on the roads.

Don’t drink and drive. It may seem an obvious piece of advice, but many people believe they are fit to drive when they are not. Err on the side of caution and do not drink any alcohol at all if you intend to drive. If you do have a tipple or two, arrange for alternative transport. Do not drive early in the morning after a heavy drinking session the night before. It takes one unit of alcohol, one hour to be broken down by

the human body so take this into account when calculating when it will be safe for you to drive again.

Adapt your driving to weather conditions. If it is icy, raining or snowing, slow down.

Be aware of other road users and pedestrians.

Make sure your car is in working order before you set off: tyre pressure, petrol, oil and wipers.

Keep windows and mirrors clean and free from obstructions

Always wear a seatbelt

If you are tired at any point of your journey, pull over to a safe place and rest or take a nap.

Carol Smith researches personal injury and other compensation claims on behalf of a team of 1500 cash advance solicitors no win no fee solicitors. She likes the springtime. http://www.cashadvancesolicitors.co.uk/