Press Release - 05-20-2019

DMV News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 20, 2019

Contact: 
Lisa Koumjian
[email protected]

Tim O’Brien
[email protected]

DMV ANNOUNCES THIRD ANNUAL VEHICLE SAFETY WEEK IN NEW YORK STATE

Governor Cuomo Proclaims This Week Vehicle Safety Week, Encouraging New Yorkers to Prepare for Summer Driving Season

Vehicle Owners Urged to Check for Recalls

As part of the third annual Vehicle Safety Week in New York State, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today reminded motorists to make sure their cars are safe for the summer driving season. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proclaimed the week of May 20 to May 27 as Vehicle Safety Week, encouraging drivers to check fluids, tire pressure, battery life, and windshield wipers before the summer travel season begins. The DMV also recommends motorists be aware of any recalls that could affect their vehicles.

“Millions of families nationwide will be hitting the road next weekend to start their vacation or just to spend a day at the beach or in a park, and a little bit of preparation will go a long way to ensure they will get there safely,” said Acting DMV Commissioner and Acting GTSC Chair Mark J.F. Schroeder. “Regular vehicle maintenance is just one more thing you can do to avoid being stranded or worse, being involved in a preventable crash.”

In hot weather, motorists are urged to check that their cooling systems are working well to avoid overheating both for the car itself and for the driver and passengers. Motorists should also make sure their windshield wipers are not worn and that there is enough wiper fluid to keep the windshield clean.

It is recommended that motorists keep a summer travel safety kit in their car with windshield wiper fluid, jumper cables, a tire pressure gauge, hazard road markers, a flashlight, a phone charger, and water and snacks in case they are stranded. When checking that the tires are properly inflated, motorists should make sure the spare tire is also in good condition in case it is needed.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nationwide there are 11,000 crashes every year resulting in nearly 200 fatalities because of faulty tires alone. NHTSA estimates 738 people died in car crashes in 2017 where tire malfunction was a contributing factor.

In addition, NHTSA provides recall information, searchable by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), on its website at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Motorists should check the site and ensure that all fixes are complete before hitting the road.

Motorists can even sign up for alerts for any future recalls that might affect their car, SUV, or pickup truck. DMV and GTSC produced a video highlighting the importance of the website in finding important recall information.

Last year, DMV launched a new system that will alert motorists to outstanding recalls when their vehicles are brought in for their annual inspections. During the inspection, the VIN is routed to a central data hub maintained by various automobile manufacturers to check for recalls issued on the customer’s specific vehicle. If a recall is found, detailed, up-to-date recall information will appear on the Vehicle Inspection Receipt provided to each motorist at the end of the inspection.

The information includes the manufacturer’s descriptions of any recall, the risk of ignoring it, and how to fix it.  These descriptions are being shared by DMV as a customer courtesy so that motorists can learn about recalls and address them at an authorized dealer repair center. 

Following up on the highly successful collaboration with the automobile manufacturers in 2018, DMV and many of the domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers will again send letters to current owners of vehicles subject to a Takata Airbag recall during Vehicle Safety Week. The letters urge these vehicle owners to immediately bring their vehicle to a franchise dealer for the proper repairs.

For more information about DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov, or follow the DMV conversation online at Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about GTSC, visit safeny.ny.gov, or follow the GTSC conversation at GTSC's Facebook page and GTSC's Twitter account.

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