Ever since the Takata airbag scandal dropped in 2015, the biggest struggle has been getting affected vehicles repaired. Almost every major automaker has been affected by the defective airbags, which may explode with too much force, sending deadly shrapnel flying at drivers and passengers. Most of the issue with getting the airbags repaired or replaced lies in simply getting the current owners to respond to recall notices. Some dealerships have had problems getting replacement parts to fix the airbags. However, regulatory agencies hope to ease regulations which may be slowing recall efforts, as CNet reports.
This week, the EPA announced an interim rule changing how dealerships, salvage operations, and other industry businesses handle Takata airbag inflators and other non-Takata airbag components.
The goal of the interim rule is to hopefully make it easier for these companies to be able to dispose of the parts and components. The agency hopes that a loosening of these restrictions will help to make it easier to get the airbags repaired and replaced.
No, this doesn’t mean that dealerships and repair facilities will be able to just toss out the airbag components into the dumpster. Instead, they will be able to send the parts and components to a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliant facility and allow the facility to deal with the disposal.
The EPA hopes that by allowing dealerships and repair facilities to send the parts to a complaint facility, it will cut out the expectation that the dealerships and repair facilities have the expertise necessary to dispose of these parts.
The FDA hopes that this will help to speed repair and replacement efforts.
Have you been injured by a Takata airbag? We can help. Call today.