Takata (www.takata.com/en) is to redesign some driver-side airbag-inflating devices. Kevin Kennedy, executive vice-president of the Japanese company’s American arm TK Holdings, appeared before Congress earlier this month to be questioned about the faulty airbags, which have been linked to six deaths and a large number of injuries.

The deaths are attributed to shrapnel from exploding airbags. As a result, some 34 million vehicles are being recalled.

Mr Kennedy said that most of the injuries and all of the fatalities involved an older version of its airbag inflator and that the company is working on replacing the part.

“Takata has committed to cease producing these types of driver inflators, and we are working with our car-maker partners to transition to newer versions in our replacement kits, or inflators made by other suppliers that do not contain ammonium nitrate propellant.”

Takata has acknowledged that high humidity can affect the chemical agent “in certain circumstances”, with the result that airbags can deploy with excessive force. However, the company said it intends to continue using ammonium nitrate.