Recalls: SMMT & VI aim for 100% response rate
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• by Peter Lawton
Every year tens of thousands of vans and trucks are called back by manufacturers for essential safety checks.
There are tens of thousands more cars, motor cycles, trailers, components and even bicycles recalled as well—and the whole system is monitored by a tiny staff of seven at the Vehicle Inspectorate's Safety Branch with a budget ofjust Elm a year.
Voluntary code
The UK system is unique because it is only governed by a voluntary code of conduct and is not backed by legislation. So how on earth does it work9 The fact there is no legislation ruling the recall roost in the UK does not mean our roads have more potentially dangerous vehicles trundling around than any other countries.
Although some defective vehicles do slip through the net, the UK's response rate to recall programmes is among the best in the world. In fact, the UK's voluntary response rate is so good that it is being looked at as a model for the entire European Union, says Jeff Sweeting, who runs the VI's Safety Branch. "The manufacturers support the code and we think it works pretty well," he adds, pointing to an average response of better than 80% over the past five years.
Sean Wedmore, a recall expert at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, reports that the average response for car recalls is around BO. HOVs often hit 95%, probably because they represent a much greater investment than a car and are crucial to the survival of a company.
Light vans are a different story with an average response in the region of 80%, but that's still much better than many other countries, including the US where recall programmes struggle to top 60%. But no-one in the UK is complacent about recall rates.
Problem area
"The light CV sector is one of those areas where you are always going to struggle—it's a problem area," says Wedmore. "Why does somebody not respond to a recall letter? People don't take safety seriously enough."
Scrapped, stolen, exported or sold; some owners can't be bothered, while others may want to avoid the authorities as a whole, There are several ways a vehicle can be missed.
To address this deficiency, the VI and the SMMT are working with the DVLA to improve the effectiveness of recall campaigns. One way they hope to achieve this is to computerlse records so vehicles subject to recalls are flagged up during annual tests or re-plating.
Wadmore says the longterm target should be nothing short of 100%, no matter what the cost; while Sweeting is looking for 90% in the shorter term.