US official: Auto safety agency under review

Charlotte Observer: WASHINGTON Transportation officials are reviewing the "safety culture" of the federal agency that oversees auto recalls, a senior Obama administration official said Friday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been criticized by lawmakers and safety advocates for not acting aggressively enough regarding millions of vehicles with defective air bags or faulty ignition switches.

A special Transportation Department team is examining whether "we have the dial set correctly on risk management and our safety posture in general" throughout the department, especially at the safety administration, said the official, who asked that he not be named as a condition of briefing reporters. The safety agency is part of the Transportation Department.

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