Truck Carrying Takata Airbag Inflators Explodes in Texas, Kills One

A truck carrying Takata airbag inflators and propellants exploded last week in Texas, killing one person and injuring four others, reports Automotive News.

On August 22, the truck was reportedly driving to a Takata plant in Eagle Pass, Tex., when it was involved in an accident, causing an explosion which burned down one home. Although it wouldn’t say the exact date and location of the accident, Takata confirmed that the truck was carrying inflators containing ammonium nitrate, a volatile chemical compound. Takata airbags with ammonium nitrate have been known to explode with too much force when exposed to hot and humid conditions for long periods of time.

“Takata has strict safety procedures relating to the transportation of its products that meet or exceed all regulatory requirements,” Takata said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who died as a result of this accident, and with the four people injured.”

The exact circumstances of the explosion remain unclear at this point, and authorities are still investigating the incident. Meanwhile, Takata is looking at more than 100 million vehicles around the world that need repairs because of the faulty inflators.

A report that came out last week illuminates the potential dangers of ammonium nitrate in airbags. After Takata had approached General Motors with the idea of using cheaper airbag inflators with ammonium nitrate, rival supplier Autoliv conducted tests on these airbags and refused to go down the same road despite the lower costs. It deemed the Takata ammonium nitrate inflators “dangerously volatile,” and warned numerous automakers not to use them, according to the report.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)

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