People all across the U.S. are watching the current government shutdown and wondering how it will affect their everyday lives. While most regular motorists might not think political issues impact their daily commutes, the shutdown has also halted operations of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As a result, the NHTSA was forced to stop safety testing of automobiles and will not issue recall notifications or address consumer complaints. <\/p>\n
The NHTSA is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, which has furloughed more than half of its employees in the auto realm for the duration of the government shutdown. Although drivers can still submit complaints to the agency and automakers are able to issue their own recalls, a lack of funding and a stripped-down crew means that the NHTSA won't be able to investigate issues or spread the word to the public.<\/p>\n
"If an automaker does a recall, it might be because they know government investigators are on the trail," Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center For Auto Safety, told AOL Autos. "Without those investigations … in the long term, it could significantly endanger consumer safety." <\/p>\n
This work stoppage could potentially cause safety issues to arise. To prevent problems, drivers will have to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to preventative maintenance and tune ups. They also may have to pay special attention to auto news in the event a manufacturer releases a recall notice or update.<\/p>\n