US regulator the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced it will hold a public hearing on 22 October on co-ordination of the Takata airbag inflator recalls, reports Automotive News. At the hearing, the agency will present potential strategies for prioritising, organising, and phasing the recalls, according to the report, citing an NHTSA notice published in the Federal Register. The NHTSA is reportedly also planning to provide an update and information on the progress of the Takata recalls to date, as well as on co-ordination issues. NHTSA head Mark Rosekind said, "Millions of Americans are affected by Takata-related recalls, and this informational meeting will be an opportunity to provide the information we've been gathering since launching the coordinated remedy proceeding in May."
Significance: Along with providing information on the status and plans for the Takata recall, the NHTSA will seek comments from the public about the plans that it presents. The agency said earlier this month that it had overestimated the number of impacted vehicles, revising that number down from 34 million to 20 million. The agency explained that some cars had been double-counted in the earlier estimate.
