Apptitude: How to get word on safety, recalls

Is your new baseball bat prone to falling apart? Is that lasagna pan a laceration hazard? Product safety, whether we're talking about toys or automobiles, can be tough to judge. Use these smartphone applications to identify safer choices and get word of product recalls.

SaferCar, free for iPhone and iPod Touch, gives safety ratings on late-model cars and trucks, including the agency's tougher "five-star" ratings for vehicles from 2011 and newer.

The SaferCar app is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which says an Android version is on the way.

The app provides vehicle recall information going back to the 2000 model year. A separate search function finds the nearest child-car-seat inspection station. And there's a news headline list.

To file a vehicle complaint to the NHTSA using SaferCar, tap over to the complaint tab that lets you scan your vehicle-identification bar code and fill in a form to explain what has gone wrong with your car or truck and provide contact information for a follow-up.

Consumerist Tipster, by the consumer-advocacy group Consumer Reports, is free for Android and Apple. The instructions for the app say, "When you spot a consumer issue that rubs you the wrong way, snap a picture, state your piece, and send your tip off to our editors." Journalists at the Consumerist.com blog evaluate submissions for possible use on the website.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission app, free for iPhone from Socialize Inc., reports product recalls as they are issued. The list is bewildering, and recent items include the strange case of a machete recalled for laceration hazards; hot-beverage cups that can break when actual hot liquids are poured in; and an assortment of lawn mowers, appliances, and even window shades that may catch fire. Tap for a Web link to find manufacturer and model details and contact information.

You can narrow the listings by product categories, such as child, household, and outdoor. But I found no search capability in the app, thus no way to check on a specific product you seek information about.

Recalls Plus, SAP AG's free app for Android and Apple, does a better job, with a search button on the opening screen, listings with icons that indicate who is announcing the recall - the CPSC, Food and Drug Administration, or other agency - and, on a description page, options to e-mail, Facebook, or tweet the recall information.

Tap "Add Stuff" at any time to create or add to a list of products, brands, or food allergens to keep on a watch list.