Finding recall information that impacts Canadians can be difficult. It requires active searching and knowledge that a recall has been made. To improve the accessibility of recall information, Transport Canada developed and is currently piloting an application for the Amazon Alexa voice assistant.
This app, which provides Canadians with a quick and easy way to search for passenger vehicles and light truck recalls, activates with the phrase, “Alexa, open vehicle recalls.” Alexa will then ask a few questions about the vehicle or product make and model to check, and will provide all recalls for it.
Transport Canada leveraged their vehicles recall database application programming interface (API) to power their app as this data is updated regularly and includes recalls pertaining to vehicles, tires and child restraints.
This app is one of the first Government of Canada uses of voice assistance to provide services to Canadians. This allows access to recall information in a new and innovative way.
This Alexa application allows Canadians to access recall data in an interactive and convenient way. It is a step towards new voice-enabled initiatives, and Canadians can interact with their government when and where they need to, in the format that works best for them.
