In an effort to keep more people safe while on the roads, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to be stricter with the enforcement of their auto safety rules and to be more stringent with the auto industry.

One company affected was Fiat Chrysler, which came under scrutiny recently with regards to its recalls. In a public hearing the governmental agency investigated whether Fiat Chrysler properly addressed and fixed problems in 20 recalls covering more than 10 million vehicles. Fiat Chrysler was also ordered to answer questions about missteps during the 20 recalls. One of the recalls affected 1.56 million Jeeps with gas tanks located behind the rear axles, rendering them vulnerable and easy to puncture. If punctured, especially in a rear-end accident, gasoline can leak.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler, reiterated the need for the safety regulators and the auto industry (and his company in particular) to cooperate and comply with the requirements.

The renewed focus on enforcement, fines and recalls follows criticism from the U.S. Congress for the slow reaction of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a fatal General Motors ignition switch case last year.

Consumer safety is an endeavor involving a variety of governmental and industry actors. Government safety regulators have a duty to regulate auto companies and auto companies have the duty to cooperate with government regulators, while putting measures in place to assure the quality of its product. When a company or manufacturer issues a recall, it means that the manufacturer has found a potentially dangerous defect in their product, as in this case. It is to the benefit of everyone for companies to issue recalls when necessary and to comply with road safety rules. Yet, even with these safeguards in place, accidents can and still do happen, in which case it is best to contact an accident lawyer.