Just as the summer driving season officially kicked off this past Memorial Day, there was some unsettling news about the safety of car airbags. On May 19 the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the need to recall nearly 34 million vehicles because of concerns about the propellant that launches the airbag in the event of an accident.

Although the largest automotive recall in U.S. history, it is by no means the first related to airbag safety. So what do drivers need to know in order to keep themselves and their families safe?

DID YOU KNOW?

The most theft-prone vehicle in America might be the Dodge Charger. Or it might be the Ford F-250 pickup truck.

Those are the contradictory conclusions of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the insurance industry-funded Highway Loss Data Institute.

Still, the government agency and private group agree that the theft of late-model vehicles is on a rapid decline in the United States. One reason: automakers’ increasing use of ignition immobilizers, which stop thieves from hot-wiring cars. Nearly 90 percent of 2012 models are equipped with them.

In a report released on Monday, NHTSA said the car stolen most often during the 2011 calendar year was the Charger, with 4.8 thefts for every 1,000 cars produced in 2011. It was followed by the Mitsubishi Galant, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Impala and Chevrolet HHR among vehicles with more than 5,000 units [...]