The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a new warning for consumers: don't buy or use aftermarket decorative steering wheel emblem decals because they could potentially detach in a crash and cause serious injury.
The warning comes after the NHTSA says at least one driver lost sight in one eye when an aftermarket emblem adorned with rhinestones became dislodged from the steering wheel in a crash and hit the driver in the face. The NHTSA describes the steering wheel decal product as a metal or plastic plate, usually covered with rhinestones or other shiny decorations, with an adhesive back that covers the vehicle’s logo in the center of the steering wheel.
The NHTSA says that in a crash, the force of a deploying air bag can turn the product into a projectile, resulting in serious injury or death. Unlike the permanently affixed logo on your vehicle’s steering wheel, these aftermarket decals can easily become dislodged when the air bag is deployed. Any alterations or changes to your air bag or its cover can also cause it to not function correctly.
The NHTSA is asking consumers to avoid buying these steering wheel decals for all vehicle makes and models and also to remove such decals that they have already applied to their steering wheels.
Read the NHTSA Press Release.
