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Ford to Offer SUV Rollover Protection Package

13 January 2000

Ford to Offer SUV Rollover Protection Package

    DETROIT, Jan. 12 -- Ford Motor Company will be the
first to feature rollover sensors and special curtain rollover air bags on its
sport utility vehicles during the 2001 model year.
    "Ford scientists and engineers have been working hard to provide our truck
customers with more potentially lifesaving features," says Helen Petrauskas,
vice president, Environmental and Safety Engineering.  "We've looked at the
most threatening current driving conditions and developed new technologies to
improve the protection for our SUV drivers and their families."
    During the 2001 model year, Ford will offer optional new rollover sensors
and inflatable side curtains on its SUVs.  This breakthrough is made possible
by the latest inflatable curtain technologies as well as advanced sensors that
measure the amount of horizontal vehicle "roll" or tilt.  The roll information
is processed by a central control module that can trigger necessary rollover
curtain bags in a fraction of a second -- as quickly as 130 milliseconds.
    The side curtain air bags will deploy through the SUV's headliner trim,
helping to protect passengers in both the front- and second-row seats.
    The curtain air bags are designed to remain inflated for up to six seconds
-- approximately the time it takes an average vehicle to roll over a few
times.  The new air bags will have fixed attachment points at the front and
rear ends of the curtain to help prevent occupants from being thrown out of
the vehicle during rollovers.
    The new inflatable curtain system also will help reduce the risk of head
injuries for SUV occupants involved in side impacts.
    "SUVs are as safe or safer in protecting their occupants from serious
injuries or fatalities as like-size passenger cars," says Petrauskas.  "But
they tend to be involved in different types of accidents."
    Approximately half of all SUV fatalities involve rollover, and these
deaths often involve occupants being ejected from the vehicle.  In fact,
occupants thrown from the vehicle are up to ten times as likely to be killed
or seriously hurt than occupants who remain inside.
    "Safety belt use is the most important factor in preventing these tragic
circumstances, and occupants are best protected in SUV rollovers when they
buckle up," Petrauskas explains.  "However, our new inflatable curtain system
will help protect occupants even when they don't use available restraints."
    Ford also is doing its part to help remind people to use safety belts with
the new BeltMinder(TM) system.  BeltMinder(TM) uses a safety belt usage sensor
located in the belt buckle to determine whether the driver is buckled up.  If
a driver is unbelted when the vehicle is in motion, a red light in the
instrument panel illuminates, and a chime briefly sounds every 30 seconds for
five minutes or until the driver fastens his or her safety belt.  The company
started putting the BeltMinder(TM) system on its 2000-model cars last year as
standard equipment -- and at no cost to customers.
    "We've tried to cover all the bases," Petrauskas says.  "This safety
package will make our SUV lineup the most technologically advanced in the
world."