AORC Presents Pathfinder Award; Launches Active Safety Systems Initiative

WASHINGTON, April 1 -- The Automotive Occupant Restraints Council (AORC) presented its highest honor, the Pathfinder Award, to Dr. Kennerly H. Digges, nationally known safety researcher and director of biomechanics and automotive safety research at the non-profit National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC) at The George Washington University's Virginia campus. The award was presented at the AORC's annual membership meeting today.

In presenting the award, Wendell C. Lane, Jr., chairman of the AORC board of directors and Group President, Seat Belts and Steering Wheels, North America, for Key Safety Systems, Inc., said "We are very pleased to present the Pathfinder award to Ken Digges for his more than three decades of conducting and directing research into vehicle safety."

Also at the council's three-day meeting in Phoenix members focused heavily on the emerging trend toward sensing and active safety systems according to George F. Kirchoff, AORC president. "Automotive safety is moving from crash mitigation to crash avoidance and emergency intervention systems. This trend is being driven by the development of active safety systems that are able to sense a potential crash, warn the driver, and even perform emergency maneuvers," Mr. Kirchoff said.

Dr. Digges joined the NCAC, one of the nation's leading authorities in automotive and highway safety research, following more than three decades of federal service, virtually all of it involving research. For 14 years he was a senior executive at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). During the past five years he has authored or contributed to more than 50 technical papers on auto safety.

Keynote speaker for the meeting is Kenneth W. Cole, a vice president for General Motors responsible for government relations activities. Previously, Mr. Cole served in this same capacity for AlliedSignal, Inc., and later with Honeywell, following the merger of the two corporations. He serves on the government relations committees of a number of industry trade associations. He is an attorney and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

The AORC, founded in 1961, is a non-profit, international organization that helps establish uniform production and quality standards for vehicle safety system components. Members include manufacturers and suppliers of airbags, airbag components, seat belts, automotive seating, and interior safety components. More information on the AORC may be found at www.aorc.org.