N.Y. Sen. Schumer Urges Review of Car Safety Screening

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling for a top-to-bottom review of federal safety screening for defective car parts. He is citing the recall of millions of vehicles equipped with Takata Corp. passenger air bags that can explode with too much force and send shards of metal into the passenger compartment.

The New York Democrat says the U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general should investigate the screening procedures and protocols used to approve auto parts before they are put into vehicles.

He says the current system is clearly failing by allowing untested car parts into the marketplace.

According to Schumer, procedures now are too lax, with no federal compliance inspection and testing process for most parts. Currently, they are tested by the manufacturer according to voluntary standards, then self-certified.