ATLANTA – Despite the slew of automotive recalls over the past year, a new survey conducted by Speedemissions Inc. indicates that 79 percent of the more than 1,300 people surveyed feel as safe or safer in their vehicles than they did a year ago.

"Our survey shows that 80 percent of consumers know something could be amiss with their vehicles even though the warning lights do not indicate a problem. Still, 81 percent said they trust their automobile manufacturer and/or their auto's electronic system to warn them of problems. That's a potentially dangerous gamble," said Rich Parlontieri, president and CEO of Speedemissions.

From April 2008 to April 2009, more than 6,300 Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) were issued to dealers by automobile manufacturers. A key point, given that 38 percent of car owners surveyed did not know dealers and automobile repair shops routinely received these TSBs. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), 16.4 million vehicles were recalled in 2009, an increase of 56 percent over the previous year.