The new auto safety app can tell you about car crash test ratings and recalls.(Photo: Mark Humphrey, AP)
Federal regulators released a mobile app Thursday with car safety information including vehicle safety ratings, searchable recalls and complaints and help with child seat installation.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's iOS SaferCar app for iPhones and the iPod Touch will also let users file a vehicle safety complaint and subscribe to automatic notices about vehicle recalls. It also provides directions to the nearest child seat installation location.
"Timely, accurate, and accessible safety data is the lifeblood of our agency's work," said NHTSA chief David Strickland. "The new SaferCar app literally puts the latest in vehicle safety information directly in the hands of consumers so they can make the appropriate purchasing and other decisions for themselves and their families."
The announcement is the first phase for the SaferCar app, which can be downloaded from Apple's iTunes Store. The agency is still working on an Android version of the app. Earlier this year, NHTSA updated its www.SaferCar.gov website to allow consumers to quickly locate information on safety defect investigations, complaints and vehicle recalls.
The app launch coincides with the release of NHTSA's Application Programming Interface (API), which will provide software developers with better access to safety data for analysis and integration into consumer-friendly web and mobile apps.
NHTSA also plans to release an online course to teach developers how to use the APIs.
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