GM recall raises concerns about warning systems for auto safety

General Motors has recalled 1.6 million vehicles because of a faulty ignition switch (PDF). GM said a heavy key ring or a “jarring event,” such as running off the road, could cause the ignition to slip out of position, shutting off the power and causing the air bags to fail in a crash. GM has linked 12 deaths to the defective switch. A recent review of federal crash data (PDF) commissioned by the Center for Auto Safety identified 303 deaths in GM cars with undeployed airbags.

This recall has cast a spotlight on serious, chronic failures in identifying safety defects in the vehicles we drive. Further, it has exposed another example of delayed manufacturer response and reporting known problems that result in deaths and injuries to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, has joined with a coalition of public-interest organizations in calling on Congress (PDF) to investigate the actions that could have contributed to this tragedy. Hearings are expected in the coming weeks.

Crash investigations by NHTSA, government inquiries, and media reports indicate that GM might have effectively ignored the problem for nearly a decade and failed to correct it.

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This serious situation reinforces our long-held position that there need to be improvements in the way safety data is collected and shared, which will eliminate barriers that limit public access to information on safety investigations. Further, we advocate for increased penalties for corporate wrongdoing to incentivize rapid, appropriate response to protect consumers.