It’s commonly said that you should “protect your investment.” That’s all well and good, but an investment that is really working in your favor is one that protects you.
The 2010 Lincoln MKT recently earned top ratings for frontal and side-impact crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The three-row luxury crossover previously earned a 2009 "Top Safety Pick" award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Ford Motor Company has more Top Safety Pick ratings and more U.S. government five-star ratings than any other automaker.
A winning combination
The all-new MKT is attracting a balanced mix of Lincoln loyalists and new customers with its array of standard and optional crash-protection, crash-avoidance and driver-awareness features in addition to distinctive design, interior spaciousness, craftsmanship and fuel economy.
Since the MKT went on sale last fall, approximately 45 percent of MKT purchasers have traded in competitive models, most commonly the Acura MDX and Cadillac SRX. More than half of those buyers opted for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost™ engine.
Customer interest in MKT's driver-awareness features has been strong as well. Nearly one in three purchasers of the MKT opts for Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support and three of four opt for a package that includes Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert.
Technology under the skin
The Lincoln MKT features Ford's Trinity Front Crash Body Architecture. The energy-absorbing body structure is optimized for strength and stiffness and features octagonal front frame rails, engine cradle/front subframe and "shotgun" front structural members designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment.
Lincoln MKT also includes Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement Architecture (SPACE®) to optimize side-impact occupant protection. The SPACE system integrates a hydroformed high-strength steel tube in the floor that runs the width of the vehicle from B-pillar to B-pillar and reinforcements along the rocker panels to help protect passengers in side-impact incidents.
Lincoln MKT also features Ford's Personal Safety System™, combining multiple technologies to tailor the air bag package and safety belt functions to the individual passenger and the accident circumstances. The system can identify variables, such as severity of the crash, weight of the individual passenger and safety belt usage, to adjust air bag deployment force.
“Leading the industry in both five-star crash test ratings and Top Safety Pick awards is very significant because customers increasingly rely on NHTSA and IIHS ratings when choosing a new vehicle.”
– Susan Cischke, Ford’s Group Vice President of Sustainability,
Environment and Safety Engineering
“Our research shows that MKT customers are tech-savvy, and luxury vehicle buyers tend to be early adopters of new safety, audio, infotainment and powertrain features. Not only is the MKT packed with standard luxury features and state-of-the-art technologies, it is unsurpassed in its segment for highway fuel economy.”
– Kate Pearce, Lincoln MKT Marketing Manager
“The MKT’s array of advanced safety te chnologies raises the bar for luxury vehicles and pushes the new frontier of ‘active’ crash-avoidance features that help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of accidents.”
– Steve Kozak, Chief Engineer, Ford Safety Systems
As Americans fight through the most stressful time of the year, Ford Motor Company and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are embarking on a plan to study driver workload and identify new opportunities to use in-vehicle technologies to improve driver safety by lowering stress.
While holiday shoppers recover from fighting long lines, crowded parking lots and icy roads, Ford and MIT researchers are focusing on how the car can potentially enhance overall human wellness, become an oasis from stressful situations, and increase driver attention and safety.
Studying stress factors
Partnering with MIT's renowned AgeLab, the project will identify specific stress-inducing driving situations, monitor a driver's reaction to the situations using biometrics, and evaluate methods to incorporate new stress-reducing features into the next generation of Ford products. A six-month effort beginning this January will focus on human interaction with a specially equipped 2010 Lincoln MKS, a vehicle already recognized for its advanced safety features.
The goal of this program is to take this one step further by creating the most comfortable driving environment possible so that our driver is always relaxed, calm and able to perform at peak performance.
Ford and MIT – partners in driver wellness
This current undertaking is the next step in an ongoing effort to study and, eventually, significantly improve driver wellness. Since 2004, Ford and MIT’s AgeLab – in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New England University Transportation Center – have been working to develop vehicle systems that detect the state of a driver at key points in time. This project envisions using this information to adjust systems in the car in ways that reduce driver stress. One of the goals of this work is to help the driver recapture the wellness experience that driving once promised.
By identifying specific situations and the physiological effect they have on the driver, Ford and MIT are seeking solutions that can bring the driver from a heightened stress level back to an optimal operational state and thereby make their commute safer and more comfortable, renewing the positive experience of driving and riding in an automobile.
By monitoring biometrics such as heart rate, skin conductivity and eye movement, researchers at MIT have been working to develop a specific set of parameters for an embedded detection system that could be engineered into future Ford vehicles.
Increasing human-vehicle connectivity through biometrics may provide the next major breakthrough in vehicle safety and lead the development of aware vehicle systems.
Diet, exercise, rest...and a stress-free car
Today’s consumers are seeking every edge they can in the pursuit of a healthier and happier life, including diet, exercise and rest. Ford is committed to introducing in-vehicle technology that minimizes anxiety and actively mitigates stress levels so that the vehicle can serve a beneficial role in a human's life like a healthy diet or regular exercise, and ultimately be part of the total wellness solution.
Ford and MIT expect to conclude this phase of the study in July 2010. Findings of the study will be made public shortly after its conclusion.
Quotes
“We strongly believe that driving can be made safer by reducing the stress load placed on a driver. Through the use of our existing technologies such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning or SYNC, our voice-activated communications system, we are proactively guiding drivers away from difficult situations. We have the opportunity to recast the driving experience not as a source of stress, but as a refuge from the daily grind and an opportunity to refresh the driver “
– Jeff Rupp, Ford Manager, Active Safety Research
“Today’s driver is feeling a greater level of anxiety than in the past, both from situations inside and outside the vehicle. This arises in part from the chronic stress in individuals’ daily lives combined with longer commute times, increased driving demands due to traffic congestion and deteriorating infrastructure.”
– Joseph Coughlin, Founder and Director of MIT's AgeLab
While rumors that Ford is developing a totally self-driving car are exaggerated to say the least, the automaker will double the availability of its Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support system in 2010 – two technologies that help drivers stay aware of hazards ahead. The advanced, radar-based driver aid and crash avoidance technologies will be added to the next-generation Ford Explorer, Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX.
In 2009, Ford began offering Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support on the Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT. One in four owners of those vehicles opted for these state-of-the-art driver awareness features.
In 2010, the newly enhanced system will allow up to two drivers to program personal settings for both features, including their preferred lead vehicle distance warning times, and a more user-friendly graphical interface.
The radar advantage
More than 70 percent of vehicle accidents occur between two or more moving vehicles, with rear-end accidents accounting for nearly a third of all accidents documented. Most rear-end collisions are due to driver inattention and insufficient driver braking, both of which are addressed by the enhanced brake functionality offered within Ford’s Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support system.
When activated, Adaptive Cruise Control operates just like normal cruise control, with one important exception. If its radar sensor detects slower moving vehicles immediately ahead, the system will reduce the cruising speed as appropriate. When its sensors detect traffic has cleared, the user’s vehicle resumes the set speed. The radar sensor can detect vehicles up to 150 yards away, track their status 20 times per second, and detect speed changes of as little as 1/4 mph.
For 2011, Adaptive Cruise Control will be pictorially represented on a high-tech LCD vehicle instrument display when activated, alongside other driver information such as the fuel gauge and speedometer. The appearance of the information will be similar to the 2010 Ford Fusion’s SmartGauge™ cluster, which uses animation of a growing vine to track fuel efficiency. Likewise, Adaptive Cruise Control will be represented by a “bird’s-eye view” of two car icons with distance bars in the gap between them. The distance between the icons is determined by driver-programmable preference.
Also for 2011, Collision Warning with Brake Support, which is packaged with Adaptive Cruise Control as an integrated system, provides the driver with a “heads-up” display of red LEDs that flash on the windshield, and provides an audible alert when its radar senses a reduction in traffic speed in vehicles ahead.
Collision Warning with Brake Support uses the same radar capability as Adaptive Cruise Control and can sense changes in the traffic flow, as low as 1/4 mph. If the driver’s response is delayed, the system will pre-charge the brakes to prepare the vehicle for more aggressive braking to help avoid rear-end accidents. If the driver lifts quickly off of the accelerator indicating a desire to slow down, the system will apply the brakes to a nominal level to begin decelerating the vehicle faster than the driver can move their foot to the brake pedal.
If the driver hits the brakes rapidly, the system will ensure that they are using the full braking capability of the vehicle to avoid or mitigate the potential threat. The feature can detect a change in traffic conditions within 250 milliseconds and provide a warning as quickly as 100 milliseconds later. The system’s activation sensitivity is determined by the driver’s programmable preference.
Learn more about Ford’s radar-enabled vehicle systems.
Quotes
“We’ve taken a great set of driver awareness features and made them more effective through the use of a more user-friendly interface that’s designed to provide an enhanced driver experience.”
– Steve Kozak, Ford’s Chief Engineer for Safety Systems.
“We’ve designed the chime and visual alerts to be effective at improving the reaction time from the driver when they’re not paying attention, to get them on to the task at hand, which is applying the brakes if needed.”
– Aaron Mills, Ford Senior Engineer of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.
“These radar-based systems build on Ford’s leading safety heritage. Many years of research and engineering work, leveraging experience gained in aerospace and other non-automotive applications, have enabled Ford to offer these crash avoidance and driver awareness systems on a growing number of vehicles. As a result, vehicle occupants may be better protected than ever before.”
– Jeff Rupp, Manager, Active Safety, Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center
“Pregnant” computer crash test models have it easy – no morning sickness or labor pains or worries about their butts looking too big in those maternity jeans, because they’re always seated. Then again, going through crash simulations over and over again can’t be any fun. At least it serves a worthy purpose.
Ford Motor Company is working with Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University researchers in the development of a computer-aided model that could be used to measure how crash forces affect pregnant women.
The effort builds on 15 years of Ford research that helped lead to one of the first adult whole body computerized crash models. These virtual crash models combine advanced computer simulations and medical research to virtually test how the human body – including the skeletal structure, internal organs and even the brain – are affected by crash forces.
The nearly complete three-year Ford-funded research project is now expected to provide Ford’s safety researchers with important data about pregnant women and their developing babies, such as abdominal shape and tissue properties. The data, collected by the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering, will help in the continuing development of the realistic “pregnant” human body model for virtual crash test simulation.
The human body model advantage
Computerized human body models, which simulate human beings in minute detail, are designed to help safety researchers better understand crash-related injuries. Ford’s research in this area, which has been ongoing for more than 15 years, already has led to the creation of adult models of a seated and standing average-size male. Dr. Jesse Ruan, passive safety expert in Ford’s Research and Engineering, says development of computerized models for other size vehicle occupants is under consideration.
These virtual models simulate regions of the body such as the head, neck, rib cage, abdomen, thoracic and lumbar spine, pelvis, and the upper and lower extremities, as well as the internal organs of the chest and abdomen. The models contain detailed representations of the bones and soft tissues of the human body.
Development of virtual human body models also may lead to the development of more lifelike crash dummies.
Pregnant women and seat belts
Ford also is launching a new effort to continue emphasizing proper seat belt usage to help address the 170,000 car crashes a year in the United States involving pregnant women.
Starting in 2010, owner’s manuals for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury will include an explanation and graphic illustration for how pregnant women should wear seat belts – the No. 1 life-saving auto safety feature.
Pregnant women should always ride and drive with the seatback upright and the seat belt properly fastened. The lap belt, or that portion of a combination lap-and-shoulder belt, should be positioned low across the hips and worn as tight as comfort will allow. The shoulder belt should be positioned to cross the middle of the shoulder and middle of the chest.
Junell Nichols, who teaches trauma and advanced life-support courses to nurses and physicians in Longview, Texas, suggested Ford provide safety recommendations for pregnant women through www.fordnewideas.com – a Web site established to solicit suggestions from the public.
For additional information, see the Safety Advice Card at Fordowner.com.
Quotes
“This is another example of how industry and academia can work together to conduct important safety research.”
– Dr. Stefan Duma, Head of Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering
“Traditional crash dummies are very important, but the computerized human models allow us to see underneath the skin inside the body during a crash. Not all virtual models are the same. We chose to work with Virginia Tech and Wake Forest because we believe they better understand the biomechanics of pregnant women and could translate that into effective computer crash test models.”
– Dr. Stephen Rouhana, Senior Technical Leader, Ford Passive Safety Research and Advanced Engineering
“We developed new methods and techniques for this project in order to collect detailed internal pregnant geometry from MRI and CT scans, including accurate size and location of the uterus, placenta and fetus,”
– Dr. Joel Stitzel, program leader and director of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics.
Remember that Reese’s Cup TV commercial from the ‘70s in which Robby Benson of Ice Castles fame is walking down the street eating peanut butter from a jar and collides with Happy Days’ Donny Most who is eating a chocolate bar? That’s right: they get two great flavors in one bite.
Imagine that concept applied to automotive crash protection technologies and you’ll get Ford Motor Company’s latest safety innovation – the world’s first automotive inflatable seat belts, which combine attributes of traditional seat belts and air bags to provide an added level of crash safety protection for rear seat occupants.
The advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.
Ford will introduce inflatable rear seat belts on the next-generation Ford Explorer, which goes into production next year for the North American market. Over time, Ford plans to offer the technology in vehicles globally.
Safer and more comfortable
Advances in air bag inflation and seat belt construction methods have enabled Ford and its suppliers to develop inflatable seat belts that are designed to deploy over a vehicle occupant’s torso and shoulder in 40 milliseconds in the event of a crash.
In everyday use, the inflatable belts operate like conventional seat belts and are safe and compatible with infant and children safety car and booster seats. In Ford’s research, more than 90 percent of those who tested the inflatable seat belts found them to be similar to or more comfortable than a conventional belt because they feel padded and softer. That comfort factor could help improve the 61 percent rear belt usage rate in the U.S., which compares to 82 percent usage by front seat passengers, according National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.
How it works
In the event of a frontal or side crash, the inflatable belt’s increased diameter more effectively holds the occupant in the appropriate seating position, helping to reduce the risk of injury.
Vehicle safety sensors determine the severity of the collision in the blink of an eye and deploy the inflatable belts’ air bags. Each belt’s tubular air bag inflates with cold compressed gas, which flows through a specially designed buckle from a cylinder housed below the seat.
The inflatable belt’s accordion-folded bag breaks through the belt fabric as it fills with air, expanding sideways across the occupant’s body in about the same amount of time it takes a car traveling at highway speed to cover a yard of distance.
The use of cold compressed gas instead of a heat-generating chemical reaction – which is typical of traditional air bag systems – means the inflated belts feel no warmer on the wearer’s body than the ambient temperature. The inflatable belts also fill at a lower pressure and a slower rate than traditional air bags, because the device does not need to close a gap between the belt and the occupant.
The inflated belt helps distribute crash force energy across five times more of the occupant’s torso than a traditional belt, which expands its range of protection and reduces risk of injury by diffusing crash pressure over a larger area, while providing additional support to the head and neck. After deployment, the belt remains inflated for several seconds before dispersing its air through the pores of the air bag.
Quotes
“Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear-seat passengers of all ages, especially for young children who are more vulnerable in crashes. This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership, including the most top safety ratings of any automaker.”
– Sue Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Sustainability, Environmental and Safety Engineering
“Ford is pioneering inflatable seat belt technology to help enhance crash safety protection, while encouraging more people to buckle up with a more comfortable belt.”
– Paul Mascarenas, Ford Vice President, Engineering, Global Product Development.
“It’s a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise reliable performance in a crash situation.”
– Srini Sundararajan, Safety Technical Leader for Ford Research and Advanced Engineering
There are songs of love and hate. And there are songs of recklessness, too. So how about songs of safety?
Kate Voegele, recording artist of the new hit song "99 Times," is asking teens to write their own special songs that send a message about the importance of safe driving behavior. Vehicle crashes remain the No. 1 killer of teens in America, with teens accounting for three times as many fatal accidents as other drivers.
The nationwide "Belt it Out" promotion begins Oct. 23rd at www.DrivingSkillsforLife.com where soloists or small bands can send songs that incorporate Ford Driving Skills for Life (FDSFL) – the company's nationwide, award-winning teen safe-driving program.
In spring 2010, the public and Voegele will select the teen with the most creative and effective song submission for a top prize of savings bonds up to $5,000.
Quotes
"Music is such a great outlet and this gives teens a chance to create their own music about something important in their lives. I am doing this to encourage people my age to stay focused on their future and to understand the importance of their own driving behaviors. They need to learn to avoid driving distractions such as hand-held texting. Maybe music can help them remember that."
– Kate Voegele, Singer, Actress, Teen Driver Safety Advocate
"Teens listen to their friends and music more than anything else, which is why we are combining the two so our youngsters can help stop their friends from hand-held texting while driving.”
– Jim Graham, Community Relations Manager of Ford Motor Company Fund
As part of their research into the cause and effects of distracted driving, Ford Motor Company researchers are using high-tech goggles that measure the amount of time drivers take their eyes off the road to help validate in-vehicle technologies such as GPS navigation systems.
The special “occlusion” goggles are used in testing at Ford’s Human Machine Interface Verification Laboratory – or “Distraction Lab.” Ford engineers and technologists use the data to accelerate the safer design of telematics systems that keep drivers connected and informed.
How it works
In occlusion studies, the test subject wears goggles equipped with small liquid crystal display (LCD) screens that rapidly blink open and closed in a regulated sequence while the subject views graphics and text information on a new device such as a navigation screen. Open goggles represent eyes-off-road time, or when the driver is looking away at a device. Closed goggles represent eyes-on-road time.
If 85 percent or more of test subjects are able to complete a task on screen in the time allowed – such as reading and selecting an address on a navigation screen – the task is considered compliant with industry guidelines. However, if the test subject cannot complete the task in time, the function is designed to be locked-out when the vehicle is in motion, and can only be operated when the vehicle is stopped.
Thanks in part to occlusion testing, the information displayed on Ford’s latest-generation navigation system is purposely limited to comply with industry guidelines and help reduce the risk of driver distraction.
The hands-free, voice-operated advantage
Occlusion testing also was instrumental in determining the appropriate amount of information provided to drivers who use the latest SYNC application – Traffic, Directions & Information (TDI).
The feature leverages SYNC’s industry-leading voice-recognition software, integrated GPS and Bluetooth-capable phones to provide simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports and weather. This information is provided through the car’s audio entertainment speakers, allowing the driver to keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
A recent study showed that SYNC, Ford’s fully integrated voice-operated in-car communications and entertainment system, significantly reduced the level of distraction when test participants selected a phone number or chose a song on their MP3 player compared with the same operations using hand-held cell phones and music players. For example, the research conducted by Ford shows study participants spent an average of 25 seconds with their eyes off the road to select a song with a hand-held MP3 player compared with two seconds for those choosing a song using SYNC. Read more about this and other related research here.
Quotes
“Occlusion testing is faster and a lot more efficient than other methods for determining eyes-off-road time and the potential for visual distraction. In the past, we used occlusion testing primarily to verify other research, but over the past couple of years we’ve been able to develop test models with the technology that allows us to rapidly complete research faster than ever before.”
– John Shutko, Ford Technical Specialist in Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics
“Studies show voice-operated systems like SYNC offer significant safety benefits over hand-held manual devices. If people are going to use nomadic devices – and there’s no reason to believe that they will stop – Ford wants to offer our customers a safer way to use them, through SYNC.”
– Dr. Louis Tijerina, Ford Senior Technical Specialist
Have you heard about that California parolee who tried to rob a bank while wearing a GPS-enabled electronic tether? No joke. File under: stupid criminal tricks. Isn’t GPS great? And you thought it was only good for confirming that you are indeed quite lost and being stalked by vultures and wolves.
It turns out that GPS may be good for something even more useful than tracking dumb criminals.
A groundbreaking research project by Ford Motor Company and Auburn University shows that global positioning system (GPS) satellites that can “talk” to cars could help prevent serious accidents in the future.
The researchers have found potential for a GPS satellite to act as an early warning system that detects when a vehicle is about to lose control and communicate with the vehicle's stability control systems and other safety features to prevent a rollover or other serious accident.
The research findings will be presented next week at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 11-14.
The project is part of Ford Motor Company’s $4 million investment in university research programs in 2009, including 16 safety projects.
Auburn University’s GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, directed by Dr. David Bevly, received a three-year, $120,000 grant from Ford in 2008 as part of company's University Research Program. The research team is investigating the use of combining GPS and inertial measurement units data to provide precise information on a vehicle’s motion. The data could be used to improve performance of a vehicle's electronic stability control system, a computerized technology that improves the safety of a vehicle’s stability by detecting and minimizing skids.
The project’s breakthroughs include developing algorithms combining data from sensors in Ford vehicles with data from GPS receivers. This coordination of data has led to predictive models that can calculate a vehicle's roll angle, sideslip and velocities under various driving conditions.
Quotes
“A satellite orbiting the earth could someday prevent an auto accident. We applaud the Auburn team for these advancements and look forward to working together on the next phase of this research, including developing prototype vehicles.”
– Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Ford’s Chief Technical Officer and Vice President, Research and Advanced Engineering
“Stability control is one of the most important safety technologies of this decade. Ford is committed to safety leadership, and research partnerships like our work with Auburn help us achieve success.”
– Jeff Rupp, Manager, Ford Active Safety Systems Engineering
Remember that Ford commercial in which the narrator (a notably blunt TV star and stand-up comedian) recalls seeing someone in a car next to him on the highway driving with his knees while talking on the phone and eating a cheeseburger? He concludes that it isn’t just crazy out there on roads today, it’s “certifiably insane.” It turns out that most people agree with him.
According to a new national survey released last week, the vast majority of U.S. drivers believes handheld texting while driving is very dangerous and should be banned nationwide. While texting is just one form of distraction, it has become the tipping point in a national debate over what constitutes a dangerous level of distraction behind the wheel.
“Very dangerous”
The survey showed that 86 percent of U.S. drivers believe handheld texting while driving is “very dangerous” and 93 percent support a nationwide ban on texting. At the same time, only 42 percent of respondents believe drivers would stop texting behind the wheel if the practice was banned. However, more than 75 percent believe there would be more compliance if hands-free or voice-activated technologies were widely available.
The online survey was conducted September 18-21 by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates on behalf of the Ford Motor Company. Ford commissioned the survey as part of its efforts to understand driver perceptions related to distracted driving. Ford recently endorsed a proposed nationwide ban on handheld texting introduced by Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY).
The survey shows that 67 percent of drivers said they believed voice-activated technology is a safe alternative to texting, and 76 percent said such a feature would be an appealing feature in a car.
The survey results come as the U.S. Department of Transportation is scheduled to host a summit on driver distraction in Washington, D.C., next week.
According to the survey, there is confusion among drivers over existing state laws prohibiting handheld cell phone use and/or texting while driving. Currently 18 states have enacted such bans but nearly 40 percent of drivers in these states indicated they were unaware of the ban in their own state.
Research on driving solutions
According to a NHTSA-sponsored 100-car study conducted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, driver inattention that may involve looking away from the road for more than a few seconds is a factor in nearly 80 percent of accidents.
Ford developed the Virtual Test Track Experiment (VIRTTEX), a state-of-the-art simulator that monitors and analyzes a variety of driving behaviors. Since VIRTTEX opened in 2001, Ford has completed a number of driver distraction studies that have contributed to the development of Ford’s Driving Skills for Life teen driving education program, the MyKeyTM programmable teen-safety feature and SYNC® hands-free communication technology.
Quotes
“Research shows that activity that draws drivers’ eyes away from the road for an extended period while driving, such as text messaging, substantially increases the risk of accidents. That is why we support a nationwide ban on handheld texting while driving and why Ford has developed hands-free and voice-activated technologies to allow drivers to remain connected, but to do so while keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”
– Jim Vondale, Director of Ford’s Automotive Safety Office
“A growing number of drivers are using handheld wireless communications and music-playing devices while driving. Research clearly shows that manual operation of those devices that takes the driver’s eyes from the road for an extended period of time creates the kind of distraction that causes accidents.”
– Dr. Louis Tijerina, Ford senior technical specialist
“Our studies show that teens are much more willing to take risks while driving, such as manually dialing on a mobile phone in situations that demand greater attention.”
– Jeff Greenberg, senior technical leader, Ford Research & Advanced Engineering.
Pity the new 2010 Ford Taurus. During the development of Ford’s new flagship sedan, it was pelted with rock and frozen, baked, and rattled. It was flogged with a steel whip, shot with high-powered rifles and slammed with loaded shopping carts.
If Ford engineers seem a bit sadistic, it is all in the name of ensuring the Taurus, debuting later this summer, can withstand anything the open road can throw at it and more. Think of it as boot camp for cars, extreme torture testing that helps Taurus deliver industry leading reliability along with its head-turning design and suite of advanced technologies.
Here are just a few of the torture tests the Taurus endured.
Shake, rattle and roll: The Taurus body is road tested for the equivalent of 150,000 miles. At various points during the road test, we secure the vehicle onto a platform that shakes and twists the vehicle like a giant paint mixer. Any squeaks or rattles detected during the tests were fixed by engineering teams, ensuring an ultra-quiet ride for the life of the vehicle.
Bumpy ride: Test drivers had a field day running the Taurus into curbs and over railroad tracks and speeding over bumps, ditches and potholes to test out the suspension and ensure air bags didn’t misfire.
Frozen and fried: The Taurus was subjected to arctic cold and Death Valley heat without ever leaving Ford’s labs in Dearborn. Ford’s environmental chamber can simulate climates ranging from 40 degrees below zero to 180 degrees to ensure all vehicle systems operate reliably in extreme weather.
Gravel vs. Paint: Best in class paint was a must for the new Taurus so Ford left no stone unturned –or unfired in this case. Engineers tested the paint finish by blasting it with a gravel gun to simulate driving on unpaved roads. Only paints that resisted chips and scratches and retained their luster passed muster for the Taurus.
Rusty situation: The Taurus was repeatedly sprayed with a salt solution, driven on a gravel road and then baked in high humidity and heat, to test its ability to fend off corrosion. The Taurus is subjected to these tests 24 hours a day until the equivalent of 10 years of severe weather exposure is simulated to ensure that rust doesn’t stand a chance.
Safe and sound: Ford engineers conduct unusual tests to calibrate the sensitivity of air bag pressure sensors, taking thousands of impact readings. These tests include ramming a shopping cart loaded with a 110-pound weight into the vehicle doors and lashing the underside of the vehicle with a steel whip. Ford engineers even fire shotguns and rifles at vehicles to ensure that air bags go off when needed and stay packed away when they are not.
Putting on the brakes: Mountainous terrain, slippery highways, stop-and-go traffic, dusty interstates and rain-drenched roads are just a few of the real-world driving conditions Ford test engineers conducted on the new Taurus to check brakes for roughness, noise and wear.
Take a seat: What may look like a robotic boxing match is actually and advanced test for the most used parts of the vehicle: the seats. Robots simulate customers entering and exiting seats thousands of times by programming real-world customer usage parameters into robots to simulate how people of all shapes and sizes affect the upholstery, seat cushions and seat structures.
Open and shut case: Robotic arms that continually open and close doors, hoods and tailgates simulate 10 years of customer use in just days. This symphony of perpetual motion results in 84,000 open-and-close cycles. This test is also run at arctic cold temperatures of 40oF below zero to desert heat cooking of 180°F.
Quotes:
“We determine what the most abusive driver would do to our vehicles, and then take it a step further. Taurus buyers can rest assured this vehicle has passed the most extreme tests we could devise.”
– Pete Reyes, Taurus chief engineer
Amy Marentic is more than just the car marketing manager for large cars and crossovers at Ford, she is passionate about the market and the new Taurus in way that many others might not be. For her, the Taurus represents both a professional and personal goal.
Join the chat below, scheduled for Friday, September 25, at 2:30 p.m. EDT to see what we mean.
Trained as an aerospace engineer, Marentic aimed to be an astronaut. During her senior year at the University of Michigan, she realized that an automotive career could provide years of exhilaration, compared with a brief ride in space she might never achieve.
Marentic was passionate about the reinvigoration and repositioning of Taurus as Ford’s flagship sedan. The data she and the team evaluated told them that the full-size sedan market had changed. With the emergence of crossovers and sport utility vehicles as family vehicles, Marentic and the team began to see Taurus in a different light.
"We found that sedans were becoming a reward for a job well done, as opposed to the quaint stereotype of a family sedan," added Marentic. "The customers we spoke to were interested in a car that showed where they were headed, as opposed to where they had been. Sedans were becoming a 'me' thing, rather than a 'we' thing."
These insights became the justification to execute on the expressive Taurus design proposal and to illustrate that the marketplace was ready for luxury levels of convenience technology.
As the new 2010 Taurus was moving through the development process, Marentic and the team saw yet another market opportunity in contemporizing the original Taurus SHO formula.
Adding a super high-output EcoBoost V-6 to the expressive new Taurus sedan, incorporating all-wheel drive with a unique sport-tuned suspension, while keeping the SHO-specific design cues subtle and stealth, enabled a balance of authenticity and innovation.
Researchers from the team also spent considerable time listening to several Taurus SHO enthusiast organizations. Vocal club members stressed the importance of a super high-output six-cylinder engine, a performance-tuned suspension and subtle SHO identification.
Marentic and Team Taurus presented the SHO business case to Ford's senior management with equal doses of market data and passionate enthusiasm. Given a green light, the concept became reality in less than 12 months.
"From the time I started at Ford, I wanted a brand new Taurus SHO of my own," said Marentic. "Consider this the realization of a personal goal, as well as a professional objective."
Roll out the red carpet. Here comes the all-new 2010 Lincoln MKT, a luxurious three-row crossover that just earned a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The new MKT – arriving in dealerships now – offers an array standard crash-protection, crash-avoidance and driver-awareness features, and further solidifies Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks. To earn this designation, a vehicle must receive a rating of “good” in offset frontal-, side- and rear-impact evaluations and offer electronic stability control.
Lincoln is offering luxury crossover customers a fresh new choice with the 2010 Lincoln MKT, a three-row crossover that delivers the optimal blend of distinctive design, interior spaciousness and craftsmanship, fuel economy and advanced driver aid and safety technologies.
The Lincoln MKT joins the two-row Lincoln MKX midsize premium crossover, the sporty Lincoln MKS luxury sedan launched in 2008 and the midsize Lincoln MKZ in earning coveted IIHS “Top Safety Pick” ratings, building on Ford Motor Company’s safety leadership.
Technology under the skin
The Lincoln MKT features an advanced structural safety system that combines octagonal front frame rails, tunnel rails and support members that are designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment.
Lincoln MKT also includes Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement Architecture (SPACE®) to optimize side-impact occupant protection. The SPACE system integrates a hydroformed high-strength steel tube in the floor that runs the width of the vehicle from B-pillar to B-pillar and reinforcements along the rocker panels to help protect passengers in side-impact incidents.
Lincoln MKT also features Ford’s enhanced Personal Safety System™, combining multiple technologies to tailor the air bag package and safety belt functions to the individual passenger and the accident circumstances. The system can identify variables, such as severity of the crash, weight of the individual passenger and safety belt usage to adjust air bag deployment force.
Read more about the Lincoln MKT’s array of driver aid and safety features here.
Quotes:
“Earning a Top Safety Pick rating is great news because the Insurance Institute’s tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers increasingly rely on them when choosing a new vehicle.”
– Sue Cischke, Group Vice President of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“The MKT’s array of advanced safety technologies raises the bar for luxury vehicles and pushes the new frontier of ‘active’ crash-avoidance features that help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of accidents. In the unfortunate event of an accident, the MKT offers a high level of crash protection, including leading crash-safety ratings such as the IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick.’”
– Steve Kozak, Chief Engineer, Ford Safety Systems
“Not only is the all-new Lincoln MKT top safety rated, it is packed with standard luxury features and an array of state-of-the-art technologies, and is unsurpassed in its segment for highway fuel economy.”
– Kate Pearce, Lincoln MKT Marketing Manager
Ford Safety Manager, Andrew Sarkisian, says MyKey Technology is about Motivation, not Control
Check out Ford’s latest live chat with Safety Strategy Manager, and MyKey™ inventor, Andrew Sarkisian. The chat focused on Ford’s technology—MyKey, and gave an introspective look into its unique features that encourage safe driving habits in teens.
Ford’s MyKey, now standard equipment across many Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models, allows owners to program their vehicle with a key to limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. MyKey also encourages safety belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound special chimes at 45, 55 and 65 mph.
Sarkisian was personally motivated not only by teen driving statistics, but by watching his own two teenage daughters get behind the wheel for the first time. He and his wife Sharon knew they couldn’t always sit in that passenger’s seat and offer direction—and so the idea behind MyKey began.
“You want to teach them these good habits early on. But how can we keep them motivated when we’re not in the passenger seat? That’s where MyKey comes in.”
- MyKey™ inventor, Andrew Sarkisian
“I see MyKey as offering a little peace of mind for parents. I can’t always be there. But I think about what I would tell my kids when they were learning to drive. I’d tell them ‘Buckle your seat belt.’ ‘Watch your speed.’ ‘And turn down that radio.’ MyKey is a choice. It’s just one more tool in mom and dad’s toolbox.”
- MyKey™ inventor, Andrew Sarkisian
The competition will be crushed to learn that the new 2010 Taurus has earned “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), adding to Ford Motor Company’s leading number of IIHS “Top Safety Pick” ratings.
The new Taurus offers a comprehensive package of crash-protection features, including dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, side impact air bags and Safety Canopy®, and crash-avoidance features including a segment-first, radar-based forward collision warning system that help drivers avoid accidents.
State-of-the-art Safety
The new Taurus offers an array of advanced safety technologies. Even the air bag systems are state of the art. Taurus’s side air bag systems use pressure pulses from a side impact and are designed to deploy up to 30 percent earlier than a traditional air bag system that uses acceleration-based sensors. Pressure-based sensors help predict crash forces before the full impact occurs and more accurately measure crash severity to better differentiate between a potentially dangerous air bag-deployable crash and common, relatively harmless daily abuse that would not require air bag protection.
Other key safety features include:
Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE®) Architecture is comprised of a hydroformed cross-car beam embedded in the floor between the door frames, providing additional strength in the side of the vehicle. In the event of a side impact, the beam helps divert crash forces away from the occupants. A strong roof cross member and side impact door beams work with the floor-mounted tube to further improve side impact protection. Ultra high-strength boron steel has been added to the B-pillar, as well.
Trinity Front Crash Architecture is a body structure optimized for strength and stiffness. The energy-absorbing structure features octagonal front frame rails, engine cradle/front sub-frame and “shotgun” front structural members designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment.
Personal Safety System™ is designed to help reduce the risk of injury to the driver and front seat passenger in the event of a moderate to severe frontal collision. Sensors note right front occupant weight, safety belt usage, outboard seat belt tension and seating position to optimize air bag deployment force for occupant safety.
AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control constantly monitors road conditions and the driver’s responses., using sensors to detect and measure oversteer and yaw, while continuously monitoring vehicle speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses a loss of wheel traction, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied in conjunction with the standard Anti-lock Braking (ABS) system. The system also incorporates traction control to aid drivers when operating the vehicle on loose or slippery surfaces.
SOS Post-Crash Alert System™ is an integrated technology that automatically unlocks the doors and activates the emergency flashers in the event of an air bag deployment.
Safety Canopy® is a Ford exclusive protection system featuring side curtain air bags that help protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollover and side impact crashes.
More Driver-Aid and Safety Technologies
Tech-savvy customers will find plenty to like about the new 2010 Taurus. Its technologies enable customer connectivity, while fulfilling desires for personalization, customization and control. This list of driver aid and safety features isn’t just technology for the sake of technology. These offerings have been selected and developed to provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience for the driver and all passengers:
Adaptive Cruise Control allows the driver to set the vehicle cruising speed while using radar technology to monitor traffic travelling up to 600 feet ahead, automatically adjusting Taurus speed to help maintain a safe distance between vehicles.
Collision Warning with Brake Support is a new active feature, enabled by Adaptive Cruise Control. This system uses a radar sensor to detect moving vehicles ahead and provides a visual “heads-up” warning signal transmitted across the base of the windshield and an audible warning when slower moving traffic is detected ahead. The system also pre-charges the brakes and engages an electronic brake assist to help the driver stop more quickly.
SecuriCode™ Keyless Entry Keypad enables vehicle access by unlocking the driver’s door using a five-digit code on the new keypad system flush-mounted in the driver’s side B-pillar.
MyKey™ allows parents or fleet administrators to activate a restricted driving mode. When enabled, MyKey features a Persistent Belt-Minder® with Audio Mute until safety belts are buckled, an earlier low-fuel warning, and engaged AdvanceTrac® stability control, Blind Spot monitoring, Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning. Additional programmability includes restrictions on audio volume, limiting top speed to 80 mph and speed chime warnings at 45, 55, or 65mph.
Auto High Beams/Rain-Sensing Wipers harness sensor technologies to switch headlights to high intensity when no other vehicles are detected, in a range of up to 500 feet for taillight detection, and up to 2,000 feet for oncoming headlight detection. Rain-sensing wipers use an advanced optical sensor to detect the intensity of rain and/or snowfall to adjust wiper speed.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) consists of two multiple beam radar modules, one each per rear quarter panel. When the sensors detect an approaching vehicle entering the defined blind spot zone, an indicator alert provides warning to the driver in the corresponding side view mirror.
Cross Traffic Alert uses the existing BLIS radar modules to sense oncoming traffic when slowly backing out of a parking spot. This industry-exclusive system functions only while the vehicle is in reverse and warns when cross-traffic is detected within three car widths.
Ford SYNC® is the fully integrated, in-vehicle voice-activated communications and entertainment system, with 911 Assist™, Vehicle Health Report and GPS-based features including business search and call completion. SYNC connects to MP3 players, iPods, memory sticks and PDAs. SYNC’s 911 Assist will place a call to a local emergency operator in the event of an air bag deployment incident when a cell phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC and the vehicle has battery power. The latest version of SYNC adds Traffic, Directions and Information, providing turn-by-turn route guidance, and the ability to access content by personalized favorites such as region, subject matter or sports team.
Voice-Activated Navigation System with SIRIUS® Travel Link™ uses an 8-inch screen to present a birds-eye-view map with 3D landmarks. The system responds to voice commands for destination programming and route selection. In addition, it provides enhanced route guidance features such as street name announcements and detailed freeway exit, turn and ramp position lane guidance. The screen can be personalized with up to 32 pictures, sized up to 1.5 MB each. The system also incorporates the SIRIUS Travel Link, offering availability of current weather and ski conditions, a five-day forecast, local fuel pricing by cost per gallon and brand, sports scores and movie listings.
Quotes
“The new Taurus is Ford’s safety flagship with a ‘Top Safety Pick,’ crash-protection and crash avoidance features that you may not find in luxury vehicles that cost twice as much.”
– Sue Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“A stiffer body structure and new crash avoidance technologies make the Taurus – already named the safest full-size sedan – even safer.”
– Pete Reyes, Chief Engineer, Ford Taurus
“The new Taurus builds on the 2009 model’s tremendous safety record by adding even more state-of-the-art crash avoidance and crash protection technologies. You would be hard pressed to find a better-equipped driver aid and safety package in a full-size sedan.”
– Steve Kozak, Chief Engineer, Ford Safety Systems
Don’t try this at home! Having decimated objects including an Apple iPhone, marbles and magnets, Blendtec®, maker of the Total Blender®, recently tried but failed to crack, cut or crush a piece of boron steel used in the Ford Fiesta on its “Will It Blend?” viral YouTube video. While boron steel won’t blend, it will help protect occupants of the Fiesta and many other Ford vehicles.
It’s Strength is Elemental
Has there ever been an element better named than boron? Antimony? That’s a Greek goddess, right? Californium? Don’t the USC Trojans play there? And isn’t Xenon an alien planet?
The chemists who named boron, on the other hand, hit the nail on the head. It actually sounds strong, hard and elemental – like iron or krypton. It’s probably some superhero’s Achilles’ heel.
Boron is used to make steel super strong, which is what Blendtec found out the hard way. The element is used to strengthen car parts, aerospace structures, even golf clubs and fishing rods. It is extremely versatile, serving an array of household and industrial uses.
Boron is used in:
Detergents
Antiseptic
Cosmetics
Insecticides
Enamel glaze
Ceramics
Glass
Pyrotechnics
Rocket fuel
Flame retardant
Nuclear reactors
Punching tools
Spades
Knives and saw blades
According to Wikipedia, boron is relatively rare, representing only 0.001 percent of the Earth’s crust. The worldwide deposits are estimated as 10 million tons, with nearly three quarters of it coming from Turkey. The element also is found in the Mojave Desert in California. Nearly all boron ore is extracted for refinement into boric acid for antiseptic, insecticide and flame retardant, or borax for detergents, cosmetics and enamel glazes.
Boron and Beyond
Ford uses boron and other ultra-high-strength lightweight steels in various structural areas on several of its current models, including the Ford Taurus, Flex, Mustang, Transit Connect, F-150 and Focus, as well as the Lincoln MKS. Boron will also be extensively used in the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta to help protect occupants in the event of a collision.
The Fiesta uses an exceptionally high level of cold- and hot-formed high-strength steels in its body structure. More than 50 percent of the body structure is high-strength steel, including grades of very high-strength, dual-phase steel and ultra-high-strength aluminized boron steel
Yet, despite its additional strength, the all-new 2011 Fiesta body structure overall is lightweight. This means advancements in safety have been achieved in harmony with fuel economy and CO2 emissions.
Protective Reinforcements
High-strength steels are used in areas of the Ford Fiesta where structural strength and reinforcement are essential for crashworthiness. This includes the floor structure, front rails and beams, and the vehicle’s integrated body-side reinforcement to help protect against side impact.
High-strength materials are used to create a very strong B-pillar section and a strong rocker section fore and aft in crash. Impact loads are also transferred laterally to the opposite side of the car via under body crossmembers to maximize dissipation of side-impact forces. This integrated body-side reinforcement resists side intrusion in the event of a collision and helps the body structure manage the energy of other impacts effectively – be they frontal, offset or rear.
The individual high-strength elements are formed into an integrated subassembly during manufacturing before they are joined to the vehicle on the production line. This process ensures better joint strength and a more efficient body structure. .
For more information on the Ford Fiesta and the use of ultra-high-strength steel, click here.
QUOTE
“Safety is an important attribute for the new Fiesta, but achieving real weight reduction was also a key objective. High-strength steels – cold- and hot-formed – were key to delivering the lighter weight and higher strength we needed for structural efficiency. We believe the materials used on the new Fiesta are setting a new benchmark in the small car segment.”
– Bernd Liesenfelder, Body engineering manager, Ford of Europe
Think size matters? Think again. Ford Motor Company’s smallest North American car, the two-door 2009 Focus, is its latest vehicle to earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). More than any other automaker, Ford offers vehicles in a full range of sizes that deliver both top-rated safety and fuel efficiency that is the best or among the best in its segment.
The 2009 Ford Focus coupe delivers up to 35 mpg and features six standard air bags, standard ABS and available stability control – features that helped it earn Top Safety Pick. Focus will be among the first vehicles to offer MyKey, which allows parents to limit the top speed and radio volume, and set other limits, when their teen is driving.
Small Car Safety
The 2009 Focus uses high strength steel throughout its structure, is loaded with six standard airbags – including side curtains and seat-mounted air bags – and comes with new front seats designed to perform well in dynamic rear impact collisions.
The Focus’ front seats are designed to help reduce the risk of soft tissue neck injuries, commonly referred to as “whiplash,” by keeping the occupant in the proper position in the event of a rear collision. The head restraint and seatback work together to maintain the occupant’s alignment by supporting the head, neck and torso. This helps manage the crash forces and minimizes the chances of whiplash-type injuries.
Focus features Ford’s fully integrated, computer-driven Personal Safety System™, which employs nearly a dozen technologically advanced components. It analyzes different frontal crash conditions and deploys the appropriate occupant protection systems for the specific crash conditions.
A new option for 2009 is electronic stability control (ESC), which uses sophisticated sensors and the anti-lock braking system to help drivers maintain control of their vehicle under a variety of driving conditions.
MyKey Promotes Teen Safety
Later this summer, Ford will begin rolling out its innovative MyKey technology, which is designed to help parents encourage their teen-agers to drive safer and more fuel efficiently, and increase safety-belt usage.
The feature will debut as standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus and will quickly become standard on many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. It allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. MyKey also encourages safety-belt usage by muting the audio system until front occupants buckle up.
SYNC Helps Drivers Remain Focused
Also setting the Focus coupe apart from other small cars is Ford’s industry-exclusive SYNC® technology, which is standard equipment on the SES and SEL series and optional on the SE. Ford SYNC, introduced first on the 2008 Focus, is a fully integrated, voice-activated communications and entertainment system allowing customers to operate their Bluetooth®-enabled cell phones and digital media players with voice commands.
Recent Ford telematics research shows that Ford SYNC hands-free system significantly reduces the level of distraction when drivers select a phone number or choose a song on their MP3 player compared with the same operations with hand-held cell phones and music players. For example, reading a text message on a handheld phone typically took the driver’s eyes off the road for 11 seconds compared to about 2 seconds when listening to the text message with SYNC’s text-to-speech output.
Ford’s research is consistent with a prior Virginia Tech and the U.S. Department of Transportation study, which concluded that manually dialing a handheld device – a task that requires glancing away from the road – while driving was almost 2.8 times riskier than normal driving. However, the on-the-road study showed that talking/listening on a hands-free phone while driving was no riskier than normal driving.
Bumper to Bumper Compatibility
Ford continues to build safety into small cars while leading industry efforts to make the bumper structures of larger vehicles such as crossovers, SUVs and pickups more crash compatible with the bumpers of smaller vehicles, including the 2009 Focus.
Ford was the first to market with crash structures to make passenger cars, such as the Focus, more compatible with SUVs. Product design revisions make both types of vehicles more resistant to damage and less likely to cause damage in low-speed crashes.
Fuel Efficient Focus
The 2009 Focus Coupe is equipped with a 2.0-liter, Duratec 20 dual-overhead-cam (DOHC), I-4 engine that delivers 143 horsepower when combined with a five-speed manual transmission and 140 horsepower when paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.
Also available is a super-clean, 130-horsepower Duratec 20E engine that qualifies Focus as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) in California emissions states. The 20E’s tailpipe emissions are cleaner than some hybrid gas-electric vehicles'. The Duratec 20 and 20E in Focus Coupe are mated to a five-speed manual transmission and achieve EPA-estimated fuel economy of 35 mpg highway.
QUOTES:
“The Focus is another example of how Ford is leading the way in enhancing safety and saving fuel; a commitment backed up the most top crash safety ratings and leading fuel economy with each new vehicle.”
– Sue Cischke, Ford Group Vice President, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“The two-door Focus’s crash test performance shows that a high level of protection can come in a small package.”
– Steve Kozak, Chief Engineer, Ford Safety Systems
Available this summer, Ford’s new 2010 Taurus will start at $25,995 – the same price as 2009 models but with more class-leading features, new technologies and perceived quality that rivals German luxury sedans. A wide selection of optional customer-focused technologies also will be available on the 2010 Taurus including Cross Traffic Alert.
This industry-exclusive system leverages the existing BLIS technology functions only while the vehicle is in reverse and warns when cross-traffic appears within three car widths. Watch a video demonstration of Cross Traffic Alert.
How it Works: Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™)
The feature uses two multiple-beam radar modules, the same used with Cross Traffic Alert, which are packaged in the rear quarter panels – one per side. The radar identifies when a vehicle enters the defined blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding sideview mirror, providing a warning that a vehicle is approaching.
How it Works: Cross Traffic Alert
Working in conjunction with Blind Spot information System (BLIS™), Cross Traffic Alert warns the driver of impending traffic while backing out of a parking spot. Cross Traffic Alert utilizes the blind spot system’s two multiple-beam radar modules. It can pick up an object moving at up to 18 miles per hour within a 65-foot range – or three parking spaces – from either the left or right side of the vehicle. When cross traffic is approaching, two warnings are given: an indicator lights up in the corresponding outside mirror and an audible alert is sounded. The radar also works when backing out of angled parking spaces because its view is wider than just strictly sensing traffic coming at a 90-degree angle.
2010 FORD MUSTANG COUPE EARNED THE U.S. GOVERNMENT’S TOP 5-STAR CRASH-TEST RATING
The 2010 Ford Mustang coupe has earned the U.S. government’s top 5-star crash-test rating, adding to widespread acclaim for the new car’s unmistakable design and upgraded performance that builds on the formula that’s made it America’s favorite pony car for 45 years. Ford has more U.S. government 5-star-rated vehicles than any other brand and more Top Safety Pick ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety than any other automaker.
Structurally Strong
The new Mustang uses high strength steel in its body structure and uses ultra high strength steel in the door intrusion beams for additional side impact protection.
The Mustang’s considerable body stiffness contributes to the coupe and convertible’s driving performance and has a parallel benefit in accident protection. While the coupe’s body structure is approximately 31 percent stiffer than the previous Mustang platform, the convertible’s is more than twice as stiff – creating a structure that helps protect the cabin from deformation and intrusion during an impact.
The front structure’s crush zones are computer-designed to absorb energy in a controlled manner and help dissipate it before it can reach the passenger compartment. Ford engineers have run thousands of design iterations of the Mustang’s front rails to arrive at an octagonal shape that helps spread crash forces evenly to help protect occupants.
Technologically Advanced
State-of-the-art technology adds to the convenience and safety of the 2010 Mustang, from the availability of the latest version of Ford SYNC®, with new features 911 Assist™ and Vehicle Health Report, to standard AdvanceTrac® Electronic Stability Control, which complements the all-speed traction control and standard anti-lock braking system (ABS).
Additional standard safety equipment includes Beltminder® and the Personal Safety System™ – a system that includes dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, safety belt pretensioners and Beltminder.
Sales Leader
Mustang remains the number one selling sports car by a wide margin, with the new 2010 model driving showroom traffic. In April, Mustang had nearly a 40 percent share of the retail sports car segment.
QUOTES:
“The Mustang offers top safety ratings that, like its design and performance, other sports cars cannot match.” – Sue Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“We’ve made many upgrades to the new Mustang that contributes not only to the car’s safety, but also to its driving enjoyment thanks to a stiffer structure. – Steve Kozak, Ford Chief Engineer for Safety Systems
“Interest in the fast, fun and affordable Mustang remains outstanding. The feedback from our dealers and customers is that we’ve taken the new 2010 Mustang to a new level of excellence.” – Steve Ling, Ford Car Marketing Manager
ENGINEERS PIT SHOPPING CARTS, WATER CANNONS AND METAL WHIPS AGAINST NEW SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES
Ford Motor Company has ushered in new, extreme tests – such as ramming shopping carts into car doors and blasting water cannons to force vehicles into skids – to fine tune new, industry-leading safety technologies for its mainstream vehicles.
These tests are part of Ford’s ongoing efforts to accelerate new collision protection and avoidance technologies. Ford’s safety leadership is built on having more Insurance Institute-rated “Top Safety Pick” vehicles than any other automaker and the most U.S. government 5-star test ratings of any brand.
New Tests for a New Technology
Ford engineers conduct unusual “crash” tests to take thousands of impact readings that help calibrate the sensitivity of new air bag pressure sensors being introduced on the new 2009 F-150 and 2010 Taurus. The new air bag systems use pressure pulses from a side impact to deploy up to 30 percent faster than a traditional air bag system that uses acceleration-based sensors.
Engineers, however, were concerned that everyday mishaps – such as shopping cart collisions in parking lots or errant basketballs from neighborhood children – could trick the new sensors that now help predict crash forces before the full impact occurs. The engineers used reams of data from these unusual tests to calibrate the air bag sensor to disregard typically minor collisions.
In one test, a lab robot repeatedly pushes a shopping cart loaded with a 110-pound weight into the vehicle doors at 10 miles per hour. Another robotic test replicates the impact of a bicycle wheel on the car door.
Pressure-based sensors more accurately measure the severity of a crash than acceleration-based sensors, which makes them better able to differentiate between a life-threatening, air bag-deployable crash and relatively harmless daily abuse that should not require air bag protection. They also perform better in new federal side-impact and oblique-impact tests, are less likely to be affected by vehicle design differences, and give designers more flexibility because they take up less space.
The new F-150 is one of North America’s first vehicles to offer this new technology. According to a recent study by the IIHS, the truck offers better side-impact crash safety than the Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram and Nissan Titan.
Whipped, Stirred and Shaken
Engineers also conduct air bag sensor research on a test track rife with jarring, jolting surface imperfections, ranging from potholes and chatter bumps to curbs and ditches. There, certified test drivers are encouraged to push vehicles to the limit.
Ford’s safety engineers also have concocted a clever test method using a multi-tailed, lead-tipped steel whip. They use it to repeatedly “pepper” the underbody area where side impact air bag sensors are located. Data collected from such tests is used to refine sensor calibrations as well.
From the Pumpkin Patch to the Test Track
Ford researchers also use a water cannon test to analyze how a moving vehicle reacts to being struck from the side, without putting test vehicles and drivers at risk of damage or injury. Researchers say the new test could prove useful in the development of next-generation stability control technology.
Ford engineers mount an air-powered cannon – a tool commonly used in mining operations and pumpkin-throwing contests – in the rear compartment of a test vehicle. In this highly coordinated maneuver, the cannon blasts water outward, causing a recoil impulse that forces the vehicle into a skid. Engineers use the test data in computer simulations to help study how to enhance stability control technology, reducing risks to test drivers and damage to test vehicles.
Safety Sells
According to the 2008 New Vehicle Customer Study, safety features account for one of the top ten reasons why Ford buyers chose their vehicle. More than 53 percent of Ford buyers indicated that safety features are “extremely important” in their decision to purchase a Ford vehicle.
“Blasting and ramming cars may seem over the top, but they’re part of a serious testing regimen that Ford had to invent, because increasingly sophisticated technologies require more advanced testing. We will continue to build on our safety leadership with advanced safety technologies that help enhance crash protection or even help customers avoid accidents.” – Sue Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“(Ford test drivers) drive the test vehicles into curbs and railroad tracks at high speeds. Most people wouldn’t drive that recklessly, but it’s our job to find out how much abuse the sensor will take before deploying the air bag and adjust the sensors accordingly.” – Todd Clark, sensor development supervisor, Ford Safety Systems
"Ford leads the industry in top crash-test safety ratings; now we’re helping take crash protection and prevention to new levels with technologies such as our new air bag pressure sensors.” – Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems
“(The water cannon test) is a very effective test that demonstrates the ingenuity of our engineering team to think outside the box. We know of no other automaker doing anything quite like it.” – Jeff Rupp, manager, Ford Active Safety Systems Engineering
“Ford’s efforts to advance vehicle safety are driving more car buyers to the brand. And their interest in safety continues to fuel innovation among our vehicle designers and engineers.” – Mike Harper, brand and tracking manager, Ford Market Research
The new 2010 Lincoln MKZ luxury midsize sedan – arriving in dealerships now – is giving Lincoln showrooms another boost after earning a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features than its Lexus and Cadillac competitors and further solidified Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks.
Structurally strong
The structure of the Lincoln MKZ helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.
The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.
Front and side-protection elements on the MKZ include:
The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip ;
Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
Front-seat side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.
Segment-exclusive features
The new Lincoln MKZ also offers segment-exclusive features, including:
First-in-class Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), which makes navigating traffic and parking lots safer and easier.
AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, which comes standard on all Lincoln vehicles, can predict the vehicle’s intentions using a sensor to detect and measure over-steer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help keep the car tracking safely on its intended path.
Optional SYNC® with 911 AssistTM. When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, the system is ready to assist in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator in the event of an air bag-deploying accident. The key advantage of SYNC 911 Assist is speed, as calls are placed directly to local 911 operators.
SOS Post Crash Alert System, which activates the horn, emergency flashers, automatically unlocks doors and turns on the interior/puddle lamps when an air bag is deployed. The system activates the emergency flashers when a spinout is detected.
Additional standard safety features on the Lincoln MKZ include:
Ford’s Personal Safety System®, which includes safety belt pretensioners, load-limiting retractors, dual-stage front air bags, driver-seat-position sensing and crash-severity sensing;
Ford’s BeltMinder™ system, which chimes and flashes a warning lamp for six seconds every 30 seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first; and
The LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system, which provides convenient mounting points for compatible child seats.
QUOTES
“Earning a ‘Top Safety Pick’ is great news because the Insurance Institute’s tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers increasingly rely on them when choosing a new vehicle.” – Susan Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“The new MKZ continues to build on Ford’s leading safety heritage and proves that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.” – Steve Kozak, Chief Engineer, Ford Safety Systems
“In addition to its top safety rating, the new MKZ is packed with technology, Lincoln’s signature high-end features, class-leading interior quietness, and is unsurpassed in its segment for highway fuel economy.” – Greg Scott, Ford Marketing Manager for Fusion, Milan and MKZ
Maureen Edgerton, 51, of West Yellowstone, Mt., was driving home on the dark night of April 11, when she unexpectedly slammed her 2007 Ford Fusion into a herd of bison. The 55-mile-per-hour impact totaled the car and killed several of the migrating “American buffalo” on the snowbound highway. Edgerton, however, walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises. Impressed by the Fusion’s crash protection, safety features and fuel efficiency, Edgerton has picked the new 2010 Ford Fusion to be her next new vehicle.
While Ford Motor Company does not have specific requirements to protect customers in collisions with bison or other animals, all of the company’s vehicles are designed and tested to meet rigorous crash safety requirements. These requirements help protect occupants in all sorts of collisions, even with bison, which can grow to more than 6 feet tall, 11 feet long and more than 2,200 pounds.
Having emerged from the accident relatively unscathed, Edgerton said the decision to buy another Fusion came easily. The new model has even more safety features, such as side curtain air bags and is “Top Safety Pick” rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also offers optional all-wheel drive and delivers segment-leading fuel economy for Edgerton’s long drives up Rocky Mountain passes to visit her daughter in Seattle, Wash.
Front and side impact protection
Fusion gets some of its core strength from the use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body structure. The structure of the Fusion helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.
The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.
Fusion’s front and side-protection elements include:
The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip ;
Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
Front seat-mounted side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.
Segment-exclusive features
Among the segment-exclusive safety and driver-aid technologies on the new Fusion is Blind Spot Information System (BLISTM) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA) and 911 AssistTM – a new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNC® hands-free system.
For safety and security, the 2010 Fusion includes 911 Assist, a new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNC hands-free system. 911 Assist is designed to aid occupants in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator if an accident that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff occurs. Unlike competitive systems that are routed through an intermediate call center, 911 Assist places the call directly to the 911 operator to speed response time.*
Safety comes standard
Fusion offers standard AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control, which uses sensors to detect, measure and help reduce side-to-side skidding conditions to help the driver keep the car tracking on its intended path.
Additional standard safety features include six air bags and Ford’s Personal Safety SystemTM, BeltMinder® safety belt reminder, the LATCH anchor and tether system for child seats, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
QUOTES
“The crash was like a war scene. By the time it was over the hood was smashed in, the mirrors were ripped from the doors and the windshield was shattered, but the interior of the car wasn’t affected whatsoever. And the car was still running and not leaking fluid. Not even the tires were deflated. Everyone who came to the scene asked ‘what kind of car is this?’ because they couldn’t believe it was possible to walk away from such a crash.” – Maureen Edgerton, Fusion owner and resident of West Yellowstone, Mt.
“The Fusion’s safety systems worked just as they were supposed to in Maureen’s accident. They saved her life. I don’t think there was any question in her mind when she came to us that her next car would be another Fusion, because the new model has even more safety technology on it than the one she’d been driving.”– Gary Berg, sales consultant at Bozeman Ford Lincoln Mercury in Bozeman, Mt.
“While our customer’s bison collision certainly demonstrates how tough the 2007 Fusion is, we've designed the new Fusion to be even tougher. It proves that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.” – Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems
Ford to Donate $20 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® for Every Customer Test Drive
Ford Motor Company is committed to the fight against breast cancer, and is a proud supporter of breast cancer research and critical breast cancer services. Over the years Ford has dedicated more than $100 million to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure fight against breast cancer.
To further show their support, Ford will donate $20, up to $1 million, to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in the name of each prospective customer that test drives a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle through June 1. This charitable initiative will run alongside the Ford Advantage Plan, designed to boost consumer confidence by offering valued Ford customers a guaranteed 12 months of vehicle payments on any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle up to $700 a month, if the customer loses his/her job.
Customers interested in a test drive can join in and participate by logging on to www.fordcares.com and getting a registration form and number to provide to their dealer. Customers participating in any upcoming Komen Race for the Cure event through June 1st will receive a registration form and can also follow the same steps to have a $20 donation made on their behalf as well.
Twitter users can follow this story @Ford. Please help by getting the word out by sending a tweet. Here's a sample: For test drives until 6/1, Ford donates $20 to Komen for the Cure. RT and @ at least ONE woman you love! http://is.gd/unhl
Quotes:
“Our goal with the Ford Advantage Plan is to rebuild consumer confidence and assist local charitable organizations that also are struggling in this economy.” - Ken Czubay, vice president of Sales and Marketing, Ford Motor Company
“This program will go a long way in helping Komen directly serve women and men in hundreds of communities across the country with education, screening and treatment programs that address breast cancer issues close to home.” - Hala Moddelmog, President and CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
FORD’S MYKEY TEEN-SAFETY TECHNOLOGY HONORED, PRAISED FOR POTENTIAL LIFE-SAVING BENEFITS
Ford Motor Company’s MyKeyTM teen-safety driving technology topped the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) top technology picks for new vehicles and earned the 2009 Traffic Safety Achievement Award from a panel of judges at the New York International Auto Show’s World Traffic Safety Symposium.
MyKey, which soon will become standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus and many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models, allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. The new technology also can completely mute the audio system if front occupants are not belted. The feature is designed to help parents encourage their teen-agers to drive safer and more fuel efficiently, and increase safety belt usage.
Ford’s Focus on Teen Driver Safety
MyKey “may hold potential to increase the safety of teen drivers,” wrote W. E. Van Tassel, Ph.D., with AAA National Driver Training Programs, in a recent article for The Chronicle of ADTSEA.
The Symposium judges previously honored Ford’s Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program – which teaches teens advanced driving skills – with the 2007 Traffic Safety Achievement Award for Community Service. Two years earlier, the Symposium honored Ford for its exclusive VIRTTEX driving simulator, which has been used almost exclusively for safety research, including an extensive teen study earlier this decade.
These efforts, combined with Ford’s hands-free, voice-activated SYNC connectivity technology, are part of Ford’s holistic approach to helping teens – the riskiest on the roads – drive more safely and reduce risks that lead to many of the approximately 6,000 U.S. auto fatalities each year.
MyKey’s Safety Appeal
MyKey can help promote safer driving, particularly among teens, by encouraging safety belt use, limiting speed and reducing distractions. In addition to the more aggressive belt monitor with audio mute as well as top speed and audio volume limits, MyKey provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour to encourage driving within posted speed limits.
About 50 percent of those who would consider purchasing MyKey also said they would allow their children to use the family vehicle more often if it were equipped with the technology. The added seat time can help teens build driving skills in a more controlled setting, complementing graduated licensing laws that give young motorists more driving freedom as they get older.
According to NHTSA, teens are more likely to take risks such as speeding – a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes – and less likely to wear safety belts than older drivers.
QUOTES
“The 2009 World Traffic Safety Symposium is tackling the issue of safer teen driving. As Ford’s new MyKey safety technology will help encourage teens to drive safer and use their seat belts, we’re proud to present Ford with this award.” – Mark Schienberg, president of the New York International Auto Show
“Ford’s commitment to providing motorists of all ages with a safe and satisfying driving experience extends beyond our introduction of industry-leading crash protection and crash avoidance systems. New technologies such as MyKey build on that commitment by encouraging responsible driving behavior.” – Susan Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY, ALAN MULALLY TAKES YOUR QUESTIONS ON TWITTER WITH THE @FORD TEAM
Progressive and innovative thinking is an essential component of Ford’s culture. With an already active social media presence, Ford continues to join, participate and contribute to the online conversation.
Ford Motor Company is excited to announce that Alan Mulally, President and Chief Executive Officer, will be taking questions live on Twitter on April 15th from 1:00-1:30pm EDT. During this time Ford invites you to join Alan at @Ford - http://twitter.com/Ford - (and to use the hashtag #FordCEO) on Twitter for an exciting and unique Q&A forum. Feel free to tweet your questions, concerns and suggestions, we’d love to hear what you think!
Tune in to Talk with the Experts about the Ford Advantage Plan
Ford DigiKnows:
A discussion with Ford’s Advantage Plan Experts Kim Cape and Andrew Ashman, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Marketing Managers
Live Interactive Streaming Video Event
Tuesday April 7th, 2009 - 12:00 Noon ET
In our episode on April 7th at 12:00 noon ET, Michael Collins takes a look at the newly-released Ford Advantage Plan and discovers how Ford is committed to offering peace of mind to Americans who are considering the purchase of a new vehicle.
Join in and ask your questions as Michael takes an in-depth look at the Ford Advantage Plan and how it compares with similar plans currently offered in the marketplace. The discussion includes Kim Cape and Andrew Ashman, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Marketing Managers.
The Ford Advantage Plan offers payment protection of up to $700 per month for up to 12 months on any new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle if customers lose their jobs. Also, customers can take advantage of 0 percent financing on select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles through Ford’s financing partner, Ford Motor Credit. The program runs from March 31 through June 1.
About Ford DigiKnows
Now you can talk to the people at Ford about what matters to you. Join us every week for Ford DigiKnows – a series of live interactive streaming video events. Each week our intrepid host, Michael Collins, takes you the behind the scenes for the scoop on all things Ford. The DigiKnow live streaming events let you talk with the experts from Ford, as they take you under the hood for a look at new and innovative Ford technologies. DigiKnows helps you uncover another side of Ford.
2010 FUSION HYBRID EARNS ‘TOP SAFETY PICK,’ GIVES FORD HYBRIDS BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND SAFETY COMBO
Car buyers seeking fuel efficient hybrids with top safety ratings in a variety of vehicle segments can look forward to a one-stop shopping trip. Only at a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership will they find not one but two top-safety-rated hybrids from which to choose.
Ford is the only automotive brand to offer two hybrids that have segment-leading fuel efficiency, “Top Safety Pick” awards and exclusive safety technologies.
The all-new 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid – the most fuel efficient midsize cars in North America – has received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Fusion Hybrid offers 41 mpg city – beating rival Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg – and its stable mate the Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market and also garnered a “Top Safety Pick.” Fusion and Escape’s Mercury hybrid counterparts, the Milan and Mariner, also received the top rating.
Side impact protection
Fusion and Milan get some of their core strength from the use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body structure. The structure of the Fusion helps it withstand intrusion in a side impact. The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle –from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.
Segment-exclusive features
Among the segment-exclusive safety and driver aid technologies on the new Fusion and Milan are Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA).
BLIS with CTA uses two multiple-beam radars in the rear quarter panels (one per side) for two different – but important – purposes. BLIS checks the defined blind spot zone, which is about 10 feet from the back of the bumper to the outside mirrors. When a vehicle is detected, an amber light in the outside mirror of whichever side the vehicle is on lights up. The driver is still responsible for any lane changes, but the BLIS is there to help.
Cross Traffic Alert notifies the driver of impending traffic when backing out of a parking spot and warns the driver when a vehicle is detected within three car widths of either side of the car. As with BLIS, the driver is warned with a light in the outside mirror on the side of the traffic. A warning beep is also sounded.
911 Assist
For safety and security, the 2010 Fusion and Milan also include 911 Assist, an exclusive new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNCTM hands-free system. 911 Assist is designed to aid occupants in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator if an accident that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff occurs. Unlike competitive systems that are routed through an intermediate call center, 911 Assist places the call directly to the 911 operator to speed response time. Ford Escape also features SYNC with 911 Assist.
Safety and Security
Fusion and Milan’s standard safety features also include six standard air bags, Ford’s Personal Safety System®, AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, BeltMinder® safety belt chime and warning lamp, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and LATCH – the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system.
Quotes
“Customers no longer have to choose between fuel economy and safety – now they can have both with the Fusion and Escape hybrids.” – Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“The new Fusion and Milan continue to build on Ford’s leading safety heritage and prove yet again that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.” – Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems.
“We know people want to stay connected in their vehicles, so we’re delivering that connectivity for them responsibly and safely. Our research backs up what most of us instinctively know – that it’s better while driving to place a call using a voice interface than dialing manually, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.” – Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.
The 2010 Escape, the small SUV with the best crash test ratings of any vehicle in its class, is increasing its technology leadership with the addition of five new features that improve safety, reduce driver distractions and aid drivers by automatically parallel parking their vehicle.
The new Escape, in showrooms this summer, will add MyKey™ teen-safety technology, Integrated Spotter Mirrors – both offered standard (MyKey on XLT and above models) – optional Rear View Camera System and SYNC with real-time Traffic, Directions and Information. The new model also will be the North America’s first SUV to offer Active Park Assist, which uses an ultrasonic-based sensing system and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) to position the vehicle for parallel parking, calculate the optimal steering angle and quickly steer the vehicle into a parking spot.
The 2010 Escape’s new features include:
Integrated Spotter Mirror – a consumer-friendly, affordable blind spot technology that consists of an outside rearview mirror designed with a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner, which is aimed exclusively at the driver's blind spot. When traffic enters the driver’s blind spot on either side of the vehicle, it is visible in the secondary convex mirror, helping provide the driver broader peripheral view.
MyKey – allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. MyKey also encourages safety-belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour. This feature is standard on Escape models featuring a message center cluster, including XLT and above.
Rear View Camera System – uses an exterior camera embedded in the rear of the vehicle that sends images to a video display in the rearview mirror or the navigation system screen to help enhance visibility directly behind the vehicle when the driver is in reverse. Ford is leveraging the affordability of high-quality video cameras to widely offer the technology with navigation systems. The rearview mirror system allows customers to choose an even more affordable version of the technology.
Active Park Assist – uses an ultrasonic-based sensing system and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) to position the vehicle for parallel parking, calculate the optimal steering angle and quickly steer the vehicle into a parking spot. The technology is a major leap forward in speed and ease of use compared with the camera-reliant systems offered by competitors. Ford’s system requires less driver interface and reduces the risk of selecting a parking spot that is too tight. Ford’s Active Park Assist also works in downhill parking situations, unlike competing systems.
Next-gen SYNC – Ford is expanding its connectivity leadership by introducing exclusive new SYNC real-time information features that deliver personalized news updates to drivers’ mobile phones while helping them navigate around trouble spots, saving time and fuel. The new Escape is one of the first vehicles to feature this optional next-generation system – SYNC with Traffic, Directions and Information – which leverages industry-leading voice-recognition software, integrated GPS technology and a customer’s Bluetooth-capable mobile phone. SYNC’s new services provide simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports and weather.
Safety Standard
The 2010 Ford Escape’s standard safety technologies also include:
AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) – the world’s only system with a gyroscopic sensor that actively measures and helps prevent both side-to-side “yaw” and roll movements
Safety Canopy® – a side air curtain technology offering protection for the first and second seating rows, and helps provide rollover and ejection protection with extended deployment in rollovers
Personal Safety System™ – a suite of seven safety technologies, including new dual-stage front air bags for the driver and front-seat passenger, side air bags and a front passenger sensor system
Tire Pressure Monitoring System – alerts drivers when tire pressure is low. Properly inflated tires not only are important for safety – they also can help improve fuel economy.
Quotes
“The Ford Escape is one of few vehicles that earned both the government’s highest possible 5-star crash safety ratings and a ‘Top Safety Pick’ in the hotly contested small SUV segment. These new technologies will help to take the new Escape to the next level of safety and driver satisfaction.”
- Susan Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“Our vision with SYNC, MyKey and other new technologies is to be a technology leader, making it affordable for millions – just as Ford has done with safety and fuel-saving technologies. We are a car company that through market-driven, customer-focused innovation is learning to think and act like an electronics company, leveraging partnerships with fresh technology leaders.”
- Doug VanDagens, director of Ford’s Connected Services Organization..
“We know people want to stay connected in their vehicles, so Ford is continuing to deliver that connectivity for them responsibly and safely. Our SYNC research backs up what most of us instinctively know – that it is better while driving to place a call using a voice interface than dialing manually, because you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”
- Susan Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“Safety is a top consumer purchase consideration, second only to fuel efficiency, and smart technologies are increasingly in demand. So Escape’s new safety and driver assist technologies, along with its top crash safety ratings and unsurpassed highway fuel economy is a combination that’s hard to beat.”
- Tedros Mengiste, Ford's Escape and Mariner marketing manager
In our inaugural episode on February 24 at 12:00 noon ET, Michael Collins takes a look at Ford’s MyKey™ with Tom Miller, Manager MyKey™ Engineering and Andy Sarkisian, Manager Safety Planning and Strategy.
Ford’s MyKey™ is a programmable feature that allows parents to limit top speed and audio volume of vehicles so kids drive more safely. A seatbelt minder makes sure driver and passengers stay buckled up. A set speed alert chimes to encourage teens to drive more safely. This feature will be standard on the 2010 Focus as well as many other upcoming Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.
Tune in to Ford DigiKnows to Talk to the Experts Live
Now you can talk to the people at Ford about what matters to you. Join us every week for Ford DigiKnows – a series of live interactive steaming video events. Each week our intrepid host, Michael Collins, takes you the behind the scenes for the scoop on all things Ford. The DigiKnow live streaming events let you talk with the experts from Ford, as they take you under the hood for a look at new and innovative Ford technologies. DigiKnows helps you uncover another side of Ford.
If you’re unable to participate in the live event, please visit our YouTube channel for show archives.
About Michael Collins, host of Ford DigiKnows
Born and raised in Detroit, Michael Collins says he's been hooked on broadcasting since he was a kid. An Emmy-winning radio and television news anchor, Michael has also produced entertainment segments for ABC's The View, VH-1, E! Entertainment, Fox News and CNN. Michael loves producing live video for the web because it’s immediate and interactive. He says "As a kid, the process of 'live' broadcasting fascinated me. It still does."
Ford is testing an array of new active crash-avoidance and driver-aid technologies by driving prototypes into large, car-shaped balloons
Ford engineers are using car-sized balloons as target practice as the company tests an array of new “active” crash-avoidance and driver-aid technologies it will introduce in 2009.
By driving prototypes into the balloons, Ford engineers are working to help consumers avoid real accidents. Most recently tested was Ford’s new Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning with Brake Support, one of the next-generation safety features Ford developed to meet growing consumer demand for technology that helps avoid sudden, unexpected hazards.
Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning with Brake Support is designed to warn drivers of possible hazards in front of them and assist them in reacting earlier. The area in front of the vehicle is continuously monitored by a radar sensor.
The balloons:
Allow Ford engineers to prove out the feature without endangering test drivers or damaging real cars. About a dozen balloon cars, weighing more than 40 pounds, are available in different sizes and designed to test the radar.
Offer enough give to allow impact without injury and allow engineers to gain knowledge of what happens at the instant before impact.
Quotes
“We want to build on Ford’s leading number top crash-safety ratings by offering the most advanced crash-avoidance technologies,” said Steve Kozak, Ford’s global chief engineer, Safety Systems. “Delivering these new technologies required our teams to implement new types of testing.”
“The first few times you drive into the balloon, it’s scary,” said Mike Lopez, engineer and test driver. “You are deliberately driving straight into a stationary object that looks like a car, and it’s against every intuition you’ve developed since you started driving.”
Unique 'K-Bag Feature Helps Ford F-150 Outperform Competition in New IIHS Side-Impact Crash Tests
When they say “Built Ford Tough” about the all-new 2009 F-150 they aren’t just talking about brawny stuff like high strength steel. They’re also talking about cushiony features such as air bags – the kind of air bags other trucks wish they had, namely a “K-Bag”.
The all-new 2009 Ford F-150 – which features exclusive “K-bag” side air bag technology – provides better side-impact crash safety ratings than the Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Special “K-bag”
Among the truck’s unmatched list of advanced standard safety features is its patented “K-bag” technology, a new front seat-mounted dual-chamber side air bag named for its unique shape, which is designed to help protect the rib cage from excessive crash forces during a side impact. This air bag is supported with a state-of-the-art side crash sensing system that uses pressure pulses from the impact to deploy the air bag 30 percent faster than a conventional system.
America’s safest full-size pickup
The F-150 earned an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” last November and quadruple 5-star government crash test ratings in January – making it the only full-size pickup to achieve both top crash-test ratings. Combined with the most standard safety features in the segment, the F-150 is America’s safest full-size pickup.
More exclusive occupant protection
Also new to the 2009 F-150 is Ford’s standard Safety Canopy® side-curtain air bag rollover protection system, which helps protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side impact crashes. The air bag is designed to stay inflated for several seconds for additional protection in rollover crashes, which often last longer than side impact crashes.
Ford’s Personal Safety System – also a standard feature – is made up of a suite of protection technologies, including dual-stage front air bags and occupant weight classification, working together to help protect occupants.
Most sophisticated electronic stability control
The F-150’s standard offering of Ford’s industry exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) also met a newer requirement that vehicles must offer electronic stability control to earn IIHS’s top rating. The system is the world’s most sophisticated electronic stability control, helping prevent skidding and rollovers. It goes a step beyond typical stability control systems with a gyroscopic roll sensor that determines both the vehicle’s body roll angle and roll rate.
Lighter, tougher structure
The F-150’s safety leadership also is built on the solid structure that underpins the truck’s legendary “Built Ford Tough” durability and capability. The truck has an all-new hydroformed steel front end – including use of tubular ultra high-strength, lighter weight steel that contributes to its unsurpassed fuel economy in the full-size pickup truck segment.
Study Shows Ford SYNC™ Reduces Driving Distractions, Helps Drivers Keep Eyes on Road
A new Ford study shows that the SYNC hands-free connectivity system, which recently earned Popular Mechanics’ Editor’s Choice Award for best new products, significantly reduces the level of distraction when drivers select a phone number or choose a song on their MP3 player compared with the same operations with hand-held cell phones and music players.
For example, the research conducted by Ford Motor Company shows study participants spent an average of 25 seconds with their eyes-off-the-road to select a song with a handheld MP3 player compared with 2 seconds for those choosing a song using SYNC.
SYNC allows drivers to connect almost any mobile phone or digital media player with their vehicle (via Bluetooth or USB connection). The driver is able to operate them by using voice commands and a steering wheel-mounted control.
The study’s 25 participants who are regular SYNC users performed seven typical tasks using SYNC’s voice interface and their personal handheld phones and music players. For each basic task, Ford researchers measured total eyes-off-the-road time, deviation of lane position, speed variability, and object detection response time to identify differences in attentiveness and driving performance.
Other findings included reading a text message on a handheld phone typically took the driver’s eyes off the road for 11 seconds compared to about 2 seconds when listening to the text message with SYNC's text-to-speech output. Drivers also meandered over lane lines in more than 30 percent of trials using handheld phones and music players for song, artist, and phone book contact selection, as compared to zero percent when performing those same tasks with SYNC. Study participants also spent an average of 25 seconds with their eyes-off-the-road to select a song with a handheld MP3 player compared with 2 seconds for those choosing a song using SYNC.
Ford’s study results are consistent with prior research, such as Virginia Tech and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent driving study, which followed 109 drivers for one year, including 42,300 hours of driving over two million miles. That study concluded that manually dialing a handheld device – a task that requires looks away from the road – while driving was almost 2.8 times riskier than normal driving. However, the on-the-road study showed that talking/listening on a phone while driving was no riskier than normal driving.
The success of SYNC continues to grow. By summer 2009, Ford’s entire North American lineup will offer this technology with more than 1 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road by the third quarter of 2009.
Ford Helps Seniors Assess Driving Skills; Offers Safety Features with Older Drivers in Mind
For many baby boomers, maintaining their driving skills during their “golden years” is the key to enjoying leisurely road trips to visit grandchildren, old friends and National Parks. Ford Motor Company wants to help them arrive safely at their dream destinations by expanding its sponsorship of a pilot program with the non-profit Traffic Improvement Association (TIA), which helps older drivers evaluate their ability to safely operate motor vehicles.
The effort complements Ford’s aggressive introduction of vehicle features and technologies that address the safety needs of older drivers and those with physical limitations.
Risks Rise with Age
Ford is helping expand the program at a time when the U.S. elderly population is growing faster than any other age demographic. The aging Baby Boomer generation is expected to increase the number of U.S. licensed drivers 65 and older by 25 percent in the next decade, as its oldest members turn 65 in 2011. By 2020, their number will reach 40 million. Other than teen-age drivers, drivers age 65 and older have the highest accident and traffic fatality rates among all age groups, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Testing Reflexes, Reinforcing Fundamentals
TIA presented a record 38 Ford-sponsored workshops at hospitals and senior centers around Michigan in 2008. Even more workshops will be offered in 2009. The three-day workshops are confidential, voluntary and designed to allow seniors to self-evaluate their skills.
TIA workshops educate older motorists about the effects of aging on reflexes and cognitive skills. They also teach compensation skills for diminished abilities, and reinforce fundamental defensive driving techniques. The program includes an on-the-road evaluation conducted by AAA-certified instructors in the drivers’ own vehicles.
Meeting the Needs of Drivers of All Ages
One in five drivers – 54 million people in the U.S. – cope with temporary or permanent physical challenges such as injury or obesity that can inhibit their abilities to turn their heads to check blind spots or avoid a rear-end collision. Older drivers, in particular, are susceptible to mobility challenges.
Such findings have helped to drive Ford’s development of radar- and camera-based active safety and driver-aid technologies, such as backing and parking aids, forward collision warning systems and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Ford will launch new Blind Spot Mirrors, Collision Warning with Brake Support, Forward Collision Warning technology and BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert – a radar system that helps detect vehicles in blind spots during normal driving and oncoming traffic when reversing out of parking spots – in 2009.
The new technologies build on Ford’s leading number of top safety ratings, including the most 5-star government ratings of any automaker, and a leading number of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Top Safety Picks.”
Lincoln MKS Adds to Ford’s Industry Leading Number of 5-Star Goverment Crash Test Ratings
Talk about ‘beauty and brains.’ The 2009 Lincoln MKS may come in a pretty package, but it also comes with some seriously smart safety technology. What better reason to explain why Ford Motor Company’s new premium brand flagship recently earned top ratings for both frontal and side impact tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), adding to Ford’s leading number of 5-star crash test-rated vehicles.
Lincoln’s full-size sedan also recently earned a “Top Safety Pick” award from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), by getting top ratings in high-speed front and side crash tests, as well as a rear crash test simulation. Ford Motor Company has more “Top Safety Picks” than any other automaker.
Going the Extra Mile for 5-Star Safety
When it comes to safety Ford doesn’t settle for less than the best. When NHTSA originally tested MKS, it received a five-star side crash rating and a four-star/five-star frontal crash rating. Ford re-calibrated the driver airbag and scored the top five-star rating in a second NHTSA crash test. Ford reacted quickly and made the change within the first 90 days of MKS production. The five-star crash test rating applies to MKS cars produced after Sept. 16, 2008.
Sedan of Steel
MKS got some of its core strength from the use of lightweight aluminum-coated boron steel – one of the strongest weld-able materials – in the body structure’s B-pillars. Ford engineers also located the side door intrusion beams to help manage and absorb energy during side impact crashes.
Top Shelf Safety Technology
The Lincoln MKS is equipped with a comprehensive package of the latest in active and passive safety features to provide a high level of protection for all occupants. Standard safety features include dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, seat-mounted side air bags, safety belt pretensioners and load-limiting retractors and driver seat positioning sensor.
The Occupant Classification System (OCS) uses a sophisticated sensor to determine, via weight, whether the front passenger seat is empty, occupied by a child seat or small or large adult occupant and can deploy the air bag with the appropriate force as needed.
The adaptive collapsible steering column is a new feature for Lincoln. The column will collapse, during an impact, dependent on the position of the driver and whether he or she is belted.
The Lincoln’s safety system uses both G-force and pressure-based sensors to monitor the crash pulse and pressure inside the front door cavity. Information is sent to the Restraints Control Module (RCM). The RCM signals deployment of appropriate restraint devices, such as pretensioners, retractors and air bags, all within 100 milliseconds.
Other key safety features include Safety Canopy® System, AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, Ford’s Belt-Minder®, a safety belt reminder technology. Additional standard safety features include an anti-theft perimeter alarm, Battery Saver, Child Safety Locks, glow-in-the-dark trunk release, illuminated entry, LATCH (Lower Anchors & Tethers for Children) and a tire pressure monitoring system.
New Ford F-150 Earns ‘Top Safety Pick’ as Ford Extends Industry Lead in Safety Ratings
When they say “Built Ford Tough” they aren’t kidding.
The new 2009 Ford F-150 is the latest Ford vehicle to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick” award. With the award, Ford Motor Company, including Volvo, adds to its leading number of 16 IIHS “Top Safety Pick” ratings, further separating itself from Honda’s second place tally of 13. IIHS awarded the F-150 its highest rating for front and side impact tests and in evaluations of seats and head restraints.
Ford engineered the new F-150 to also earn top ratings in the U.S. government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests to be conducted later this year. Ford has more IIHS Top Safety Picks and government five-star safety-rated vehicles than any other automaker.
The new F-150 also has been recognized as the one and only “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) – the sixth consecutive year a Ford truck has won top honors – as well as PickupTrucks.com’s Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup.
The Toughest Truck
The F-150’s legendary toughness contributes not only to its durability and capability but its safety as well. The 2009 F-150 has an all-new hydroformed steel body structure – including industry-first use of tubular ultra-high-strength lighter weight steel that offers top performance and contributes to the F-150’s unsurpassed fuel economy in the full-size pickup truck segment.
Also new in the F-150 this year is Ford’s standard Safety Canopy® side-curtain air bag rollover protection system, which helps protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side-impact crashes. It is designed to stay inflated for several seconds, as rollover crashes often last longer than side-impact crashes. Added to this is a Ford-first – the new “K-bag,” a front seat dual-chamber side air bag named for its unique shape, which is designed to help protect the rib cage from excessive crash forces during a side impact.
Another standard safety enhancement is a state-of-the-art passenger seat sensor that specifies the timing and type of air-bag deployment based on the weight of the occupant. Additional sensors in the vehicle – monitoring roll stability control and rollover air bag deployment – have been integrated into one unit, increasing the sensitivity and accuracy of the system.
Stability and Towing Control
The F-150’s standard offering of Ford’s exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control) also met a newer requirement that vehicles must offer electronic stability control to earn IIHS’s top rating. The system, using a gyroscopic sensor, detects and measures over-steer, roll and yaw.
Working in conjunction with AdvanceTrac is Trailer Sway Control, which determines from the yaw motion of the truck if the trailer is swaying and takes measures to help bring it under control. Additional towing-related driver-aid features include Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, Tow Haul Mode and Reverse Camera System.
Ford’s MyKey technology and nationwide driver’s education help give parents piece of mind.
As National Teen Driver Safety Week kicks off, Ford is expanding Driving Skills for Life, the award-winning driver’s education program. The program launched in 2003 and to date has trained approximately 332,000 young drivers. Ford also recently introduced MyKey™ technology, which helps parents encourage teens to adopt safer driving behaviors through safety-belt usage, lower audio volumes and a limited top speed. MyKey will become a standard feature across many Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models in early 2009.
A recent Ford-commissioned survey by Harris Interactive Study shows that 57 percent of parents worry about teens driving while on a cell, and 34 percent of survey teens admitted to talking on their phones while driving. Also 44 percent of teens surveyed own up to speeding; 53 percent of parents worry about their teens driving too fast.
Parents like MyKey technology, as it can limit a vehicle’s top speed to 80 mph and be programmed to sound special chimes at 45, 55 or 65 miles per hour. But not surprisingly, initially 67 percent of teens polled said they didn’t like it. However, if using MyKey would lead to greater driving privileges, as 50 percent of parents had indicated, that number dropped to only 36 percent.
MyKey features include:
Persistent Ford Beltminder™ with audio mute. With MyKey, Beltminder automatically mutes the vehicle’s audio system at the first chime until the safety belt is secured. The reminder chimes, which stop after five minutes in the standard system, also continue every minute until the belt is buckled.
If MyKey is in the ignition, features such as Park Aid and BLISTM (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert will always be on and cannot be disabled.
Earlier low-fuel warning. Rather than a warning at 50 miles to empty, MyKey provides a warning at 75 miles to empty.
Results of Harris Interactive Surveys
Parents
Worry most about teen driving: Talking on cell (57%), Speeding (53), Distracted by others (51), Texting (51)
Feature favorability (Extremely/Very Important or Important): Limits top speed (76%), Seat belt reminders (72), Limits radio volume (63)
Consider purchasing such technology (parents of teens who drive primary vehicle): Yes (50%), No (28), Not sure (22)
– Note, 24% (almost half of those who would consider purchasing) would give their teen(s) more access to the vehicle.
Teens
Driving behaviors: Speeding (44%), Talking on cell (34), Drowsy driving (22) Distracted by others (17), Texting (15)
Speed/Volume limit favorability: Unhappy (67%), Neutral (21), Like (3)
Same with more access to family vehicle: Unhappy (36%), Neutral (39), Like (24)
Quotes
“Ford has a long-standing commitment to safety, as we seek to improve crash protection, crash avoidance and safe driving behavior. When it comes to teens, while others lobby to increase the legal driving age, Ford is using extensive research to develop educational and technological solutions to help reduce the loss of young lives on our roads.”
- Susan Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“The Driving Skills for Life program is just one example of Ford’s overall commitment to safety. We know it can work. The State of Illinois piloted a teen driving safety program based on DSFL this year and has seen a remarkable reduction in teen auto fatalities by more than 50 percent.”
- Jim Graham, Community Relations Manager of Ford Motor Company Fund
Ford’s new MyKey system allows parents to encourage teen-agers to drive safer and conserve fuel
As part of its ongoing commitment to technology and safety, Ford will launch MyKey – a new technology that allows parents to limit the vehicle's top speed and audio volume – next year as standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus and many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.
MyKey, another affordable innovation from the company that introduced SYNC™, also encourages safety-belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour.
More time behind the wheel gives young drivers invaluable road safety experience. A recent Harris Interactive Survey conducted for Ford shows that many parents would allow teens to drive more often if their vehicle was equipped with MyKey, complementing graduated licensing laws by helping teens build their driving skills in a more controlled setting.
With MyKey, parents also can reinforce fuel-efficient driving. Ford research shows that driving 55 mph instead of 65 mph consumes 15 percent less fuel. As well, if MyKey is in the ignition, features such as Park Aid and BLIS™ (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert cannot be deactivated.
Quotes
"Ford not only offers industry-leading crash protection and crash avoidance systems, we also are committed to developing new technologies such as MyKey that encourage safer driving behavior. MyKey can help promote safer driving, particularly among teens, by encouraging seat belt use, limiting speed and reducing distractions."
- Susan Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
"We've upgraded an existing, proven technology – the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system – with some simple software upgrades to develop a new unique feature that we believe will resonate with customers. We also developed MyKey's functions in such a way to quickly spread it across multiple vehicle lines, giving us the ability to go mass market in the spirit of other Ford innovations such as safety belts, stability control and SYNC."
- Jim Buczkowski, Ford Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering Director
Ford continues to build on its safety and technology leadership with its new radar warning system
Ford’s innovative Collision Warning with Brake Support will be introduced in 2009 on select Ford and Lincoln vehicles in order to help drivers avoid rear-end collisions. Using a long-range radar hidden in the front of the vehicle, Collision Warning with Brake Support warns the driver when it detects objects that may be a hazard.
A chiming alarm and warning light alert the driver to a possible collision. If the hazard remains, Collision Warning with Brake Support pre-charges the brakes for quicker stopping. To shorten the reaction time, the brakes are prepared by the brake pads being placed against the discs.
The brake pressure is also reinforced hydraulically, ensuring effective braking even if the driver does not press the brake pedal particularly hard. This helps drivers to quickly reach maximum braking power once the brakes are engaged.
The U.S. government estimates that 90 percent of the approximate 2.3 million rear-end collisions annually could be eliminated if drivers were given one extra second of warning.
Just one of three new radar-based active safety technologies Ford is launching in 2008 and 2009, Collision Warning with Brake Support is joined by Adaptive Cruise Control and BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert as part of its rapidly expanding number of advanced driver-aid and safety features.
Quotes
"Statistics show that 50 percent of all rear-end collisions involve a stationary object, which means that Collision Warning with Auto Brake covers twice as many situations as with the present system."
- Jonas Tisell
What can a physicist learn from a dummy? Plenty, if the dummy is special and you're a Ford physicist working on child safety. This link good until April 3, 2009.
Keeping you safe isn't just about safety belts and air bags. That's why Ford is a leader in automotive safety with its Personal Safety System® This link good until April 1, 2009.
Ford builds on legacy of safety technology innovations
As an ongoing commitment to customer safety, Ford continues to develop industry-leading crash-protection and avoidance technologies that help save lives and reduce injuries.
Some of Ford’s many innovations include:
AdvanceTrac with RSC® (Roll Stability Control) – Standard on most of the company’s crossovers, pickups and SUVs, this safety innovation is the industry’s only roll sensing system that helps detect and prevent dangerous rollovers.
Safety Canopy® – The industry’s first rollover-deploying side-curtain air bag system provides protection in rollovers and side impacts. By the 2010 model year, the system will be offered on all retail crossovers, pickups and SUVs, as well as some passenger cars.
Personal Safety System® – Comprising a suite of seven protection technologies, including dual-stage front air bags and occupant weight classification, working together to help protect occupants, the Personal Safety System is standard on most Ford vehicles.
Advanced Crash Dummies – By making crash test dummies more lifelike, Ford can better understand how injuries occur. The company’s new lifelike child dummy even has advanced technologies in the stomach to duplicate abdominal injuries – the most common for young occupants.
Quotes
“This effort furthers Ford’s commitment to help protect families by focusing on one of the most common collision-related injuries among children. It will help us better understand the effects of crash forces on children’s abdomens.”
- Dr. Steve Rouhana, Senior Technical Leader, Ford’s Passive Safety Research and Advanced Engineering Department
Advanced structures, AdvanceTrac help four Ford vehicles earn “Top Safety Picks”
With a total of 16 to date, Ford Motor Company has earned more Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) “Top Safety Picks” than any other automaker. Four of Ford’s 2009 models – Ford Flex, Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKS and Mercury Milan – received the honor, allowing Ford to surpass its closest rival, Honda.
Flex, MKS, Fusion and Milan excelled in each of the Institute’s crash tests, which requires that vehicles earn the top “good” ratings in the Institute’s high-speed front and side crash tests, and a rear crash test simulation that evaluates seat and head restraints. As well, since 2007, it is required that vehicles must offer electronic stability control.
All four vehicles feature AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control. The safety system uses sensors to detect and measure yaw, or side-to-side skidding conditions, by monitoring the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. IIHS has stated “stability control significantly reduces crash risk by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers.”
Quotes
“Flex and MKS are built on a platform that has a tremendous safety heritage – one that it shares with the 2009 Ford Taurus, rated America’s safest full-size car. And Fusion and Milan prove that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.”
- Steve Kozak, Ford’s Chief Engineer for Safety Systems
“Safety is a top purchase consideration, second only to fuel efficiency, so the top safety ratings and competitive fuel economy of Flex, MKS, Fusion and Milan are a winning combination.”
- Michael Crowley, Ford North America Car and Crossover Marketing Manager
Ford earns more of the top honors than any other automaker
On the heels of earning a 5-star crash-worthiness rating from the U.S. government, the 2009 Ford Escape and Escape Hybrid were awarded a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
To receive IIHS’s Top Safety Pick, vehicles must achieve the top “good” ratings in the institute’s high-speed front and side crash tests, and rear crash tests that include seat and head restraint evaluations. An added requirement since 2007 is that vehicles must also offer electronic stability control.
Modifications to the frontal airbags and safety belts
Structural changes to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes
A new seat design that improves the rear crash protection rating
The Escape bested the Toyota RAV-4 in both independent crash safety ratings and, with the 2009 Escape’s improved fuel efficiency, offers better combined crash safety and fuel efficiency ratings than the Honda CR-V. The Escape hybrid also outpaced the Toyota Prius in both crash tests.
Quotes
“Earning a Top Safety Pick is great news because IIHS tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers are increasingly relying on them when choosing a new vehicle. The Ford Escape is one of few vehicles that earned both full 5-star crash ratings and a Top Safety Pick in the hotly contested small SUV segment – some of our toughest rivals such as Toyota cannot match us.”
- Susan Cischke, Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“We’ve devoted many hours to analyzing and improving the body structure, safety belts and air bags of Escape and Mariner for better performance in front and side impact crashes. We’ve taken our compact SUVs to the next level of safety.”
- Steve Kozak, Ford Motors Chief Engineer for Safety Systems
While on a job site a Peterbuilt Semi became stuck in the mud. The driver asked me if I could pull him out of the mud because he didnt want to have to call a Semi recovery vehicle. I hooked up to the Semi with a doubled \"snatch strap\" and I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and took off. I pulled the Semi out with literally no resistance.. Job well done Ford!!
in feb of 2007 I bought a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, It had 241 000 Miles on it, I had been a previous Chevy S10
Owner. I want to say this is by far the best truck I have ever had. Right now she has 257000 miles on the original engine. She has never given me a major problem. I still get 26MPG Highway, she has only failed to start once time and that was because I left the lights on and killed the battery. This truck means alot to me because I bought it from the Adoption agency that handled my son\'s adoption. I nicknamed her \" black betty\" after the Bad Company song. I also turned her into a ha
They’ve been around awhile – a snippet of advice here, an old adage there. They’re the guidelines that are supposed to help keep cars running in top condition. Problem is, most of them aren’t based in fact – or they’re just plain outdated.
Ford Police Interceptor Concept: Ford, the market leader in the law enforcement vehicle segment, reveals details on its next-generation, purpose-built Police Interceptor that will exceed the durability, safety, performance and fuel economy of the outgoing Ford Crown Victoria.
@NickMcLaren You'll take delivery sometime between May and Sept--timing depends on when you order at the dealer. ^EA #2010/03/11
Love this! RT @SvenskaSpark I already love everything about my Fiesta, and it's not even here yet! I feel like I'm expecting a car baby. ^EA #2010/03/11
