MENU
SEARCHRepresentatives from automakers, Takata and NHTSA are expected to testify.
Screen capture image by Nightly Business Report/CNBC via YouTube.
Screen capture image by Nightly Business Report/CNBC via YouTube.
Takata’s defective air bag inflators and the resulting vehicle recall process will be the subject of a U.S. Senate committee hearing on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m. EST.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will conduct the hearing. Topics will include the response from Takata, automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recalls have involved 10 automakers and approximately 7.8 million vehicles in the U.S. The defective air bag inflators can rupture and send metal fragments flying at vehicle occupants. Four deaths in the U.S., as well as the death of a pregnant woman in Malaysia, have been linked to the problem.
In a regulatory filing on Nov. 13, Takata Corp. disclosed it was served a subpoena from a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York. The subpoena is for documents related to the air bags.
NHTSA is also investigating whether further recalls should be launched to replace Takata’s air bag inflators.
Meanwhile, Takata continues to dispute a New York Times article in which two former employees allege that the company secretly conducted air bag tests in Michigan in 2004 and hid results from NHTSA.
In a lengthy rebuttal statement provided to the Times, Takata said the company’s air bag tests in Michigan in 2004 were conducted for an entirely different purpose – to address a cushion-tearing issue that had nothing to do with inflator rupturing.
The company shared these test results with both Honda and NHTSA, Takata said. The company added it did test air bags for rupturing risk, but that occurred in 2007 and those results were also delivered to both Honda and NHTSA.
A Nov. 12 article in the New York Times details the discrepancies between Takata’s account of the events and that of the former employees. To read the article, click here.
Takata Corp., headquartered in Tokyo, began manufacturing vehicle safety equipment back in the 1950s. The corporation operates 56 plants in 20 countries. The American subsidiary is TK Holdings, based in Auburn Hills, Mich.
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
Read More →
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Read More →
What fleets capture to improve safety can also expose them in litigation, forcing leaders to rethink how data is managed, stored, and shared.
Read More →
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
Read More →
While serious crashes are declining, a rise in minor incidents and ongoing risk hotspots underscore the need for continued fleet safety investment.
Read More →
Fleets have more driver data than ever, so why isn't behavior changing? Training requires more than reports and coaching — it requires real-world practice.
Read More →
A two-part conversation with Stefan Heck on how AI is transforming the fight against distracted driving. As fleets adopt smarter tools, the focus shifts from reacting to preventing risk. In Part 1, we look at where AI is making an impact for fleets today.
Read More →
More people on foot means more risk for drivers. These pedestrian safety tips can help prevent serious injuries and keep everyone safer on the road.
Read More →
Safer crews. Fewer incidents. Better uptime. Learn how driver-assist technology is changing the way vocational fleets operate.
Read More →
An 11% drop in pedestrian fatalities in early 2025 signals progress in U.S. road safety, but elevated death rates and ongoing risks underscore the need for continued action from fleets and policymakers.
Read More →
