The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce says Victoria’s roads authority must act now to prevent injury or death resulting from a faulty Takata airbag.
The VACC says VicRoads needs to follow other states in blocking re-registration of vehicle VIN numbers identified as having a Takata airbag fitted and not yet replaced by a dealership.
Victoria remains one of the only states not to implement the strategy while 20,000 Takata airbag inflators remain in circulation.
VACC chief executive Geoff Gwilym says VicRoads has a vital role to play in preventing a Takata airbag from deploying, which the NSW coroner recently described as akin to a “shotgun wound” to the face.
“VicRoads should access the last known registered owner details and other VIN information from
its database and write to the last known owners of these vehicles, stating clearly that the vehicle’s
registration is cancelled forthwith,” he urges.
“The classification of ‘critical’ by ACCC is particularly alarming, as this means that the manufacturers
have identified the fitted airbags as being particularly dangerous should they activate,” Gwilym explains.
Most of the 20,000 ‘missing’ vehicles are produced by BMW, Holden, Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota, the VACC highlights, with 3.04 million cars to date rectified by Australian dealerships.
“We understand that not all of the 20,000 ‘critical’ cars will still be on the road. But VicRoads needs to act now to help safeguard Victorian motorists,” Gwilym adds.
“Dealers have clearly done their job, and then some. It remains the duty of vehicle owners to heed
the numerous warnings that have been delivered over an extended period and return their vehicles to
dealerships for rectification,” he concludes.
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