With car recalls being issued more frequently, it’s also becoming more inconvenient for car owners when they are advised to visit recall websites for information.
As such, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is trying to make this a lot easier for motorists with a new app that alerts customers of the latest recalls.
Called the SaferCar app, the technology was recently redesigned to include automatic alerts to the public each time car manufacturers announce a recall.
In the past, the NHTSA app allowed people to search for recalls. But the latest update will instead push these alerts to app users as soon as an automaker issues a recall. It’s more proactive and makes information dissemination more convenient on the part of car owners.
It is worth noting, however, that the notifications will be pushed once the agency files the documents for public viewing. The NHTSA said app users can save their respective vehicles in a virtual garage, so the system will know which alerts are relevant for them.
The application is free and comes straight from the U.S. federal government.
As for issues regarding privacy, NHTSA says the data is stored locally on a user’s smartphone and that the administration will not be provided a copy of the data.
The new technology is expected to help car owners get their vehicles fixed as soon as a solution becomes available at a local dealer. Based on the latest government data, about 25% of vehicles on the road have an existing factory recall.
Safety recalls are issued by an automaker or recommended by the NHTSA when a defect is found to increase the risks of a crash or injury. In most cases, repairs are free of charge.
The updated NHTSA app is available on both the Apple App Store and Android Play Store.
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