Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to To the Point

To the Point

Can a Japanese Airbag Protect You from Itself?

Airbags are supposed to protect passengers during car crashes, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says bags installed in millions of cars are an immediate danger to drivers.  When they explode, they spray drivers and passengers with metal fragments.

  • rss
  • Share
By Warren Olney • Nov 19, 2014 • 1 min read

Airbags are supposed to protect passengers during car crashes, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says bags installed in millions of cars are an immediate danger to drivers. When they explode, they spray drivers and passengers with metal fragments. Five deaths have been linked to faulty airbags made by the Japanese company Takata. US safety regulators have asked BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Mazda for a recall. Nobody yet knows how many cars are involved. Jeff Bennett, who covers the automotive industry for the Wall Street Journal, joins us from Detroit.

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

  • KCRW placeholder

    Andrea Brody

    Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Benjamin Gottlieb

    Reporter, Fill-in Host

  • KCRW placeholder

    Jeff Bennett

    Wall Street Journal

    NewsNationalPolitics
Back to To the Point