NSW Police blame airbag for Honda death

NSW Police have declared a faulty airbag the likely cause of the death of a motorist involved in a collision earlier this month.

The collision occurred in Cabramatta in Sydney’s west on July 13. The vehicle in which the deceased was travelling was a Honda CR-V. It was a model subject to the worldwide recall of Takata airbags.

The death appears to be the first directly attributed to the faulty airbags Down Under. Earlier this year a Darwin woman suffered serious head injuries (attributed to airbag issues) when her Toyota RAV4 was involved in a crash.

The Takata airbags have been implicated in the deaths of up to 18 people, with most fatalities occurring in the USA. A number of car brands are affected, including Subaru, Nissan and Toyota, as well as BMW, Ferrari and Mazda.

The NSW Police statement reads in part: “Investigations have revealed that a faulty air-bag was the likely cause of death, following a crash in Cabramatta last week.

“About 12.45pm on Thursday, July 13, 2017, emergency services were called to the intersection of Mallee and Church streets, Cabramatta, following reports of a crash.

“Investigations show a Honda CR-V and a Toyota Celica crashed at the intersection.

“The driver of the Honda, a 58-year-old man, died at the scene.

“The passenger of the Honda, a woman, and the driver and passenger of the Celica, both men, were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

“Investigations have revealed that the death of the man is likely due to a fault in the air-bag, causing the man to be struck in the neck by a small fragment.”

The NSW Police have referred the death to the NSW Coroners Court to determine if an inquest will be necessary.

The NSW Police have urged any owners or drivers who believe their car may be part of the recall program to check the ACCC’s product safety website.

Honda Australia last night issued a short statement regarding the death.

Director Stephen Collins told motoring.com.au: “We are aware through NSW Police that an accident occurred on July 13, 2017, and resulted in the tragic death of the driver. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family of the driver during this difficult time.

“The vehicle involved, a 2007 Honda CR-V, was the subject of Takata airbag inflator recalls. Honda Australia is working closely with authorities to provide whatever assistance is required.”

In May 2017, Collins spoke to motoring.com.au encouraging owners and drivers of recalled vehicles to ensure their vehicles were checked.

At that stage the company said as many as 160,000 Hondas were still to be presented at dealerships for modification. Some vehicles have a number of airbag inflators that must be replaced.

Today, Honda Australia spokesperson, Neil McDonald told motoring.com.au that around 70 per cent of the affected airbags have been replaced.

“Honda Australia has a completion rate of 70 per cent. As of this week, Honda and its network of 107 dealers had replaced 456,136 inflators. [But] 194,243 airbag inflators remain subject to the recall,” McDonald stated.

Parts to complete the fixes are in stock, he said.

“We have averaged a completion rate of around 5000 inflators a week,” he added.

McDonald said the company’s dedicated call centre was fully staffed and able to take calls this weekend.

“We would urge any concerned Honda customer to first check the recall site at www.honda.com.au. They will be able to check their vehicles VIN number to determine if their vehicle is affected.

“They can then phone the call centre 1800 789 839 to book their car in,” he explained.

In some cases, Honda claims, car owners have been contacted up to six times in an effort to have the airbag inflators changed.

“We have sent out more than 1 million communications to affected customers.

“We urge anyone who has a recall notice to check in and follow the advice on the recall notice to repair their car,” McDonald stated.