1620 5th AvenueNew proposed legislation that supposedly protects motorists in California is the subject of controversy, according to sources. The proposed bill sets regulations on safety standards for used car sales, and has been named the Used Car Safety Act. The idea behind the proposed bill is that consumers will get more information about the history of the used vehicle before they purchase it. Senator Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, claims the current government protections are not enough.
“It doesn’t tell you about airbag deployment,” says Senator Vargas. “It [the car] might have been in an accident, but you don’t know. There may have been other things…recalls on that car, you don’t know that. So, you buy it thinking, ‘OK, great—no warning sign. This could be a good one.’ No, it could be a real lemon.”
The bill requires the seller of a used car to mark the vehicle with a red tag if it was ever listed in the federal database as junk or salvage. Some consumer groups see the proposed legislation as an attack on Carfax and other companies that sell consumers vehicle history reports.
“Let the marketplace decide,” said Faisal Hasan, a lobbyist for Carfax. Many lawmakers disagree.
“As the nation’s largest used car market, a lot was at stake for California,” said Bob Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills. “We already have the nation’s best law on the books that is supported by consumers, law enforcement, and the auto industry. It just needs the chance to work.”
So do you think this is a measure to protect California motorists, or unnecessary legislation? Will it protect not only consumers but also user car dealers from products liability lawsuits?
Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego personal injury attorney.
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