The safety board also will assist if Texas state officials investigating the crash ask for help, Weiss said. The Texas incident recalled a series of explosions at a TRW Inc. airbag inflator plant in the 1980s and 1990s that involved a different chemical compound, said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington watchdog group. The Takata blast raises serious questions about the safety of transporting ammonium nitrate by truck across the country as tens of millions of recalled airbags are replaced, he said. "This incident shows there's a need to get completely away from ammonium nitrate," Ditlow said. "Takata's choice of ammonium nitrate was one of the biggest engineering mistakes in automotive history. Why are they still using it?" 4th Gear: The UK's Dragging Ass On Volkswagen In America, Dieselgate was met with swift action, lawsuits, sanctions, buybacks and condemnation. So much condemnation, you guys. But in the United Kingdom? Meh.