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Experts worry Volkswagen may have underreported accident rates.

What Else Should We Doubt About Volkswagen? Last month Volkswagen aroused the public’s ire by admitting that it had cheated on US air pollution tests since 2009. Now, in the wake of this disclosure, some experts are wondering what else Volkswagen may have been dishonest about.

Of particular concern the car accident injury reporting Volkswagen has done as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s early-warning system, which is designed to ensure government officials have access to the data necessary to spot and address vehicle defect trends early.

Over the last decade, Volkswagen has reported the lowest rate of death and injury claims of any other major automaker in the US. Of course, being #1 for safety is not really the problem. The problem is that there is a huge gap between Volkswagen and other manufacturers, and it is this gap that is causing experts to doubt Volkswagen’s numbers.

Recently, financial advisory firm Stout Risius Ross Inc analyzed the data and found that the average reporting rate of the other 11 biggest automakers was nine times higher than Volkswagen’s rate. This is especially troubling considering that Honda and Fiat Chrysler recently admitted to underreporting their own claims—and Volkswagen beats both of these automakers’ numbers by a tidy margin.

Here is a breakdown of the numbers:

  • The average rate of accidents for the top 11 manufacturers (comprising 88 percent of the US market) was 301 per million vehicles on the road
  • GM reported 524 accidents per million vehicles
  • Chrysler reported 101 accidents per million vehicles
  • Honda reported 78 accidents per million vehicles
  • Volkswagen reported 34 accidents per million vehicles

As Neil Steinkamp, a Stout Risius Ross managing director explains it, “The data demonstrates that even on a fleet-adjusted basis, the number of reported incidents by Volkswagen is significantly below what one would expect based on those reported by other automakers. They are also significantly below the reporting of automakers that have already been cited for non-compliance.”

Directors of the Washington DC based watchdog Center for Auto Safety have also expressed concerns, saying that they feel the numbers are so low that they must question how Volkswagen compiled them.

President Obama has reacted by proposing that the NHTSA be given a budget increase to allow them to hire seven additional analysts to help the staff of four currently tasked with analyzing the early data provided by auto manufacturers.

When out on the road, it is very important not to let your vehicle’s safety rating give you a false sense of security or cause you to take unnecessary risks. Any vehicle may been involved in an accident causing serious injury. Fortunately, you can always call Attorney Vargas for help.