CPSTs are the eyes and ears in the field, so it is important that they know about some new options for reporting problems to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA has long asked CPSTs and the public to report safety defects seen in vehicles, car seats, and tires. People can do so easily by clicking Report a Safety Problem at the top right of www.nhtsa.gov.
Here are three new categories to report problems seen in the field:
- Other Vehicle-Related Equipment/Product: Using this form, the public can report problems with aftermarket products—items that don’t come with the vehicle at purchase—that can affect safety. NHTSA offers helmets and brake fluid as examples. A NHTSA employee clarified for SRN that the public could use this form to report safety problems regarding aftermarket products for CRs.
- Automated Vehicle: Using this form, the public can report problems with automated (aka autonomous or driverless) vehicles, including issues affecting the safety of children.
- First Responder: First responders can use this form to notify NHTSA of a problem they discovered within their official capacity—such as when responding to a crash—that they believe may be a product defect that poses a safety issue.