Senators call for broader recall of defective Takata airbags.

The New York Times (2/2, Tabuchi, Subscription Publication, 12.03M) reports that Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward Markey (D-MA) have “called on the Obama administration in a letter to force the recall of every Takata airbag that uses a propellant that contains a compound called ammonium nitrate.” The Times explains that “the letter follows the death of Joel Knight, who was killed in December when the airbag in his 2006 Ford Ranger ruptured after hitting a stray cow in South Carolina, sending metal debris into his throat.” The senators criticized the NHTSA “for not demonstrating more urgency in forcing Takata to prove that ammonium nitrate is safe to use.” The Times points out that the “agency has said that while unknowns remained surrounding the cause of the defect, complicating the recalls, if it ‘believes a vehicle presents an unreasonable risk to safety, the agency would seek a recall.’” Meanwhile, the senators “did acknowledge that the agency has recently stepped up its enforcement against Takata.”