Ditch Rhinestones on Steering Wheels for Safety, Fed Warns
Though personalizing your car can be fun, government officials put out a consumer alert against a specific customization that could lead to severe injuries in the event of a collision. They’re warning about steering wheel decals. More specifically, a little rhinestone-studded ring that can be placed over the manufacturer’s logo on your steering wheel.
On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a statement advising car owners not to attach hard stick-on decorations to the center of their vehicle’s steering wheel. The agency urged immediate removal of any existing decorations, emphasizing that these decals could transform into dangerous projectiles in a crash, posing a risk of serious or even fatal injury.
The NHTSA recounted an incident where a driver suffered a significant injury, losing sight in one eye, as a result of a crash that dislodged a rhinestone-adorned aftermarket emblem from the steering wheel, striking the driver’s face.
The agency described the potentially hazardous items as “metal or plastic plates, typically adorned with rhinestones or other shiny decorations, featuring an adhesive back that covers the vehicle’s logo in the center of the steering wheel.”
While the NHTSA did not specify particular products or manufacturers, it emphasized the general danger associated with such steering wheel decorations. Most modern passenger vehicles are equipped with driver-side airbags that deploy from the middle of the steering wheel during a significant impact. The forceful inflation of the airbag towards the driver’s head and face is designed to cushion the impact of a crash. Factory-added decorations are engineered to stay in place when the airbag deploys, but aftermarket embellishments pose a risk.
Recently, Nissan recalled certain vehicles due to concerns about the logos on their wheels coming loose. According to Kelley Blue Book, over 400,000 vehicles are subject to a recall due to the potential detachment of their steering-wheel-mounted emblems, posing a risk of becoming projectiles in the event of an accident.
For further details, refer to the complete consumer alert released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration here.
These Are The 5 Most Popular Cars In America
There are many factors to consider when deciding to purchase a new car. Insurance rates have fluctuated, and the automobile industry constantly introduces new features, especially in electric vehicles. Forbes recently published a report detailing the five most popular cars in America.
They state that car ownership increased by 3.66% between 2017 – 2021. Furthermore, “Most U.S. households (91.7%) had at least one vehicle in 2021 (the latest data available), and 22.1% of households had three or more vehicles,” the Forbes piece explains.
But what cars are people buying most? Forbes detailed the sales figures for the top 10 purchased cars in 2022. The number one selling vehicle in the country was the Ford F series, with 653,957 units sold.
Two additional pickup trucks claimed the second and third spot as well. There were 513,354 Chevrolet Silverados sold in 2022, and 468,344 Ram Pickups. Then, the list gets more into the small and mid-size space. Toyota had two high sellers with their practical RAV4 and Camry.
A Few Surprises
The compact SUV Tesla, the Model Y claimed the sixth best-selling spot on the most popular cars list. This fully electric vehicle has a starting price of approximately $47,500. The only mid-sized SUV with a larger footprint to make the list was the Jeep Grand Cherokee at number 10.
Plenty of Pickups
GMC and Toyota’s pickup truck offerings joined the list as well. This means five out of the top ten best-selling cars in America are pickup trucks. The GMC Sierra was seventh, and the Toyota Tacoma was 9th.
But What Color?
This fascinating subject has many angles in which you can continue to break down the details. For example, Forbes shows that white is the most popular color of U.S. cars bought. Yellow was the least popular color.
Starting with the Ford F series truck, let’s take a further look at the five most popular cars in America.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
