Customizing cars is great fun. Adding a little personal touch can make something feel more like your own. However, some modifications can not only negatively affect the functionality of the car, but, more importantly, its safety. And the most threatening are those that can interfere with the operation of your car’s security devices. The one that NHTSA highlights for second time These are stick-on badges that can be used to decorate your steering wheel.
They can be found almost anywhere online, often with plastic crystals or in different colors than the usual chrome badge on the handlebar. While they may seem innocent, the problem is, as NHTSA points out, that if the airbag deploys, they can be dislocated, broken, and thrown from the steering wheel. Received a report of a person who had been in an accident with two parts of the badge lodged in his neck and face after the airbag deployed.
This is not the only case either. In November, NHTSA issued a similar warning after receiving a report of someone’s aftermarket badge being damaged. This person lost sight in one eye.
In addition to the projectile potential of these additives, NHTSA also notes that placing anything where the airbags are located could hinder their operation. Car manufacturers carefully design their panels and airbags to deploy in specific ways, and attaching components that can prevent this can also pose a risk.
The good news is that this issue is effortless to solve. Ideally, you should just not buy any of these stickers. But if you purchased and installed it, just remove it. Grab and pull, or even grab a screwdriver to pry it out if it’s really stuck. Anyway, judging by the sound of it, it probably won’t be attached that well anyway. Please note that we are talking specifically about the badges located centrally on the steering wheel, where the airbag is located, other vivid interior elements are not mentioned here.
