New iPhone App Helps Consumers Make Real-Time Vehicle Safety Decisions

A new iPhone app developed by Volpe for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will allow users to access information from the NHTSA website www.safercar.gov in order to determine a vehicle’s safety rating, get help installing a child car safety seat, filing a safety complaint or receiving automatic safety recall notices. Consumers can use the app while shopping for cars or to find important information about their current vehicles.

Volpe developed the app through its previous work with the NHTSA on vehicle recalls and complaints about safety issues over a 12-year span. Volpe was instrumental in developing the SaferCar.gov website to handle safety complaints and to distribute recall information to affected consumers. This insider knowledge helped Volpe move quickly through the development phase of the app and work on advanced features. The new app will allow users to scan VIN numbers with their phones to register vehicles for safety recall notices, a feature that makes it extremely user-friendly and gives drivers up-to-the-minute information on possible safety risks. The new app is also a “push and pull” program, allowing users to access information and to receive notices.

The SaferCar app will including the following features:

• 5-Star Safety Ratings. The most popular feature among the 10,500 users who have downloaded it so far is the ability to search for safety ratings. Users can find vehicles by make and model and compare the vehicle ratings easily. This feature allows car shoppers to instantly find out important information about the vehicles they are considering such as rollover crash safety and rear-end crash resistance.
• Safety Recalls and Complaints. Users can put up to 10 vehicle makes and models into the app to receive instant notification of safety recalls. Users can also use this app to report safety issues directly to the NHTSA.
• Child seat installation assistance. Users can find contact information for car seat inspection stations as well as find instructions for installing car seats and booster chairs correctly.
• Safety News. Consumers can receive news and updates about safety information and other important issues from the NHTSA.

The app was developed for the iOS platform, meaning it can be used on iPhones, iPads and iPods. The NHTSA and Volpe are currently working on creating a version for the Android platform, as well. Volpe previously created two other mobile apps for the Department of Transportation: SaferBus and QueryCentral. All of Volpe’s apps have dealt, in some regard, with vehicle or transportation safety.

For those injured by a defective vehicle or a product related to a vehicle, a personal injury attorney may be able to help the victims recover damages. The victim of a defective vehicle or product may be entitled to payment of medical expenses related to injuries as well as sums for pain and suffering and coverage for lost wages and living expenses.