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Honda fined $70 million for failing to report deaths, injuries

The federal agency charged with keeping US motorists safe announced Thursday it has fined Honda $70 million for failing to report death and injury data in a timely manner. Honda failed to report 1,729 incidents involving death or injury over an 11-year period, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials. Federal law requires automakers to report deaths, injuries and certain warranty claims. Officials said Thursday that information could have been used to spot trends in automotive defects and potentially save lives. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said it is possible the Department of Justice could conduct a criminal investigation into the failures, but it was not immediately known whether the Justice Department would pursue such charges. NHTSA officials still don't know much about the 1,729 incidents of death or injury that were missing from the Early Warning Reporting records, because in some cases, they still haven't been reported. Mark Rosekind, the agency's new administrator, said Honda is still in the process of sending investigators the missing information. "Our first task will be to review that, and determine actual deaths and injuries," he said. "That data is in the process of coming to us and being processed right now." The $70 million is the largest civil penalty levied against an automaker in history, officials said. It actually consists of two $35 million penalties, the maximum allowed by statute for a single TREAD Act violation. In this case, NHTSA broke the fine into separate violations, one for the missing deaths and injury information and one for the company's failure to report certain warranty-claim information. Honda reached an agreement with the federal government in late December, in which it accepted additional regulatory oversight and third-party audits that will ensure reporting is properly completed in the future. Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Government/Legal Honda transportation

Honda to use English as its official language

Honda still has its headquarters in Japan and offices all over the world, but expect to hear a little less Japanese from the automaker in the coming years. A small statement in the business' latest sustainability report (available here as a PDF) announces English will become the official language for interregional communication by 2020. Honda believes that the change should foster better contact between countries as Japan becomes a less central focus for the company. As part of this shift, any documents or questions during interregional meetings, plus any other information being shared between territories, must be in English. To put some extra weight behind the mandate, the ability to speak the language is going to be a requirement for future promotions to management. In the meantime, "Honda has implemented measures in Japan that include study programs aimed at boosting English language skills," the sustainability report said. According to Automotive News, former CEO Takanobu Ito called the idea of making English an official language for company communications "stupid" five years ago. Although even under his watch, things were changing. In 2013, Honda adopted English as the main form of discourse in global meetings. The decision to lessen the focus on Japanese within Honda stems in part from changing worker demographics and major sales regions. According to Automotive News, 81 percent of the company's production comes from outside of Japan, and the country only accounts for about a third of the workforce. Also, 40 percent of global sales are from North America. Honda is quickly transitioning into a more global company in general. For example, the latest Civic Type R is assembled in the UK but has an engine from the US. Also, North America is getting the European made Civic five-door hatchback for the venerable model's next generation. English as the Official Language Setting English as the official language in inter- regional communications It is vital to develop an environment that achieves close communication between associates in six regions worldwide in order for the Honda Group to display its comprehensive capabilities while local sites are independent.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing to switch to Honda engines starting in 2019

After a 12-season partnership with Renault, the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team is switching engine suppliers. Starting next season, the team will use Honda powertrains, following the move this year of Red Bull's junior team, Toro Rosso. This effectively makes Red Bull Racing the Honda works team, something it's never truly benefited from since joining the sport in 2005 after purchasing the former Jaguar Racing team. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Honda has had a rough time since returning to F1 with McLaren back in 2015. Both sides hoped that the move would rekindle one of the most successful pairings in F1 history. Unfortunately, Honda powertrains were both underpowered and unreliable. The partnership proved to be so toxic that McLaren ended the deal early, moving to Renault power starting this season. On the other hand, Toro Rosso is off to a fine start this year with Honda, surely helping cement Red Bull's decision to drop Renault. Since moving to Renault power in 2007, Red Bull Racing has won 57 races, four drivers' championships and four constructors championships, making it one of the most successful teams in F1 history. The move should be a huge boon for Honda. Red Bull Racing is currently one of the top teams, fighting for both podiums and wins, so the move shows how much faith Red Bull has in the Japanese automaker. When McLaren picked up Honda power, it was a mid-pack team that had just two podiums in the previous two seasons. The Honda partnership is likely to play into Daniel Ricciardo's next move. His current contract with Red Bull racing ends at the end of 2018. He's one of the best and most talented drivers racing today and unlikely to stay with a team that might prevent him from winning races and fighting for championships. Related Video: News Source: Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Motorsports Honda Renault Racing Vehicles F1 Red Bull Racing