Woodland Hills Commuters May Be Unknowingly Driving Deathtraps

LOS ANGELES,CA — Millions of people are driving with cars with faulty and potentially life-threatening airbags, and most of those drivers live in Southern California According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The administration joined with Southland community groups Monday on an outreach campaign targeting drivers in the San Fernando Valley to encourage them find out if their vehicles are subject to the massive Takata airbag recall. Getting them repaired is free, and it could mean the difference between life and death. The campaign is dubbed Airbag Recall: Operation Find & Fix. According to organizers, there are still more than 2.5 million vehicles on California roads with recalled airbags —the highest number in the nation.

"Tens of thousands of San Fernando Valley residents are still driving vehicles with defective airbag inflators," according to a statement from Christian Rubalcava, president of the Sylmar Neighborhood Council. "... I urge all Southern Californians, regardless of what you drive, to check you and your family's vehicles at www.AirbagRecall.com. You could save a life."

Recall-check events will be held in in Sylmar, Pacoima and Sun Valley, with additional locations tobe announced.

Heidi King, NHTSA deputy administrator, said the urgency of having the recalled airbags replaced "cannot be overstated."

"This recall is an important public safety issue for all Americans, but it is especially critical for drivers in Southern California, where prolonged exposure to heat and humidity exacerbates the defect," King said.

Organizers said at least 15 people -- including three from Southern California -- have been killed by defective airbag inflators, and more than 220 Americans have suffered injuries such as lacerations to the face or neck, broken or fractured facial bones and broken teeth. Leaders of the campaign said that while the airbag recall affects 19 automakers, select 2001-2003 Hondas and Acuras, as well as 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series trucks, "pose the most urgent threat and are unsafe to drive."

Motorists can check if their vehicle is under recall at www.AirbagRecall.com. An Airbag Recall app is also available on Google Play and iTunes.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photo: A deployed airbag is seen in a 2001 Honda Accord at the LKQ Pick Your Part salvage yard on May 22, 2015 in Medley, Florida. The largest automotive recall in history centers around the defective Takata Corp. air bags that are found in millions of vehicles that are manufactured by BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)