(Monday, March 8, 2021) – March 8 to 12 is Vehicle Safety Recalls Week. This week is a reminder to car owners about the importance of regularly checking for and getting recalls fixed. Last year, nearly 56 million vehicles were on the road with open safety recalls. That is almost one in five cars in the U.S.

A safety recall is issued when there is a vehicle defect that puts the driver and passengers at risk. It is important to regularly check for vehicle recalls in order to keep your family and loved ones safe. Automakers send out notices to the vehicle owners that they have on file – but if you have an older or previously owned vehicle, you may not be receiving these notices.

Check To Protect is a coalition led by the National Safety Council to raise awareness of the importance of checking for open vehicle recalls and getting their free repairs.

Mark Chung, Vice President of Roadway Safety at the National Safety Council, explains the importance getting recalls fixed and regularly checking for recalls.

SOUNDBITE #1:

SAFETY IS TOP OF MIND FOR FAMILIES ACROSS AMERICA, AND VEHICLE SAFETY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE TWO MINUTES THIS WEEK TO CHECK FOR RECALLS ON THEIR VEHICLES, BECAUSE YOU WON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE AT RISK UNTIL YOU CHECK. SAFETY RECALLS CAN BE DANGEROUS AND LEAD TO INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. SO IF YOUR VEHICLE HAS AN OPEN RECALL, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE REPAIR.

SOUNDBITE #2:

IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHECK FOR VEHICLE RECALLS IN ORDER TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. THE EASIEST WAY TO CHECK FOR SAFETY RECALLS IS TO VISIT CHECK TO PROTECT DOT ORG THEN ENTER YOUR SEVENTEEN-CHARACTER VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, OR VIN. THE VIN IS LOCATED ON THE DRIVER’S SIDE DASHBOARD BY THE WINDSHIELD AND IS ALSO ON MOST VEHICLE REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS.

Visit CheckToProtect.org today to see if your vehicle has an open recall.