Drivers Urged to Check for Recalls During Vehicle Safety Recalls Week

More than 53 million vehicles on the road today have unrepaired safety recalls.  Schedule free repair until March 13Itasca, Ill. – The National Safety Council encourages every vehicle owner to check their vehicle’s recall status during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Recalls Week March 7-13.According to CARFAX data, more than 53 million vehicles on the road today have unrepaired safety recalls. This is roughly one out of every five vehicles. Many recalls involve defective parts that can pose life-threatening risks to drivers or passengers. Led by NSC, the Check To Protect campaign encourages all vehicle owners to proactively check their recall status and, if necessary, schedule a free repair as soon as possible. Owners are encouraged to check for recalls every time the vehicle is serviced.“Preparing your vehicle before you depart for your destination is a critical component to safety,” said Lonny Haschel, senior program manager of mobility safety at NSC. “Checking for open safety recalls is important and easy to do. NSC encourages every driver to check their vehicle for an open recall and get it repaired for free as soon as possible, so they can drive safely knowing their vehicle is in good-working condition for all involved.”Vehicle owners and fleet managers can easily learn if their vehicles have an open recall by visiting CheckToProtect.org and entering their license plate number and state. Owners may also enter the 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN to learn about open recalls. The VIN can be found on the driver’s side dash, inside the driver’s door, on registration documents, or on insurance documents. Another option for vehicle owners is to text “RECALL” to 99724 – or, for Spanish speakers, text “REVISA” to 99724 – and snap a picture of the license plate when prompted.All recalls are FREE to have repaired at authorized dealers, regardless of whether the vehicle was purchased from the dealer. For more information on safety recalls, visit CheckToProtect.org.About the National Safety CouncilThe National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 100 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.About Check to ProtectCheck to Protect is a national campaign, bringing together a coalition of automakers, traffic safety partners, state DMVs and others. The coalition is led by the National Safety Council and encourages drivers to check the recall status of their vehicle and have open recalls fixed immediately.