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Continental Teves Adds Safety and Comfort Option To Vehicles with the Adjustable Pedal

14 March 2000

Continental Teves Adds Safety and Comfort Option To Vehicles with the Adjustable Pedal

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 14 Everyone is not blessed with
the trait of being above average in height.  For those who fall below the
average, the risk of being injured by driver air bags poses a real threat.
According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, the
recommended minimum distance between the driver and the air bag is 10 inches.
This distance is often not possible for shorter drivers who need to move
closer to the steering wheel to comfortably reach the pedals.
    Continental Teves, a leading supplier of safety and comfort systems, is
engineering innovative technologies to address this issue.  Their newly
developed adjustable pedal is an interactive high-tech device that gives
drivers the option of moving accelerator and brake pedals fore or aft by as
much as three inches.  With the touch of a remote keypad or a button in the
vehicle, an electromechanical drive mechanism is prompted, moving the
accelerator and brake pedals simultaneously.
    Researchers suggest that 40 percent of women driving larger vehicles do
not sit at a safe distance from the steering wheel.  Adding the ability to
adjust the pedals helps drivers keep their seat at a safe distance.  According
to Ford Motor Company, the adjustable pedal system can accommodate drivers
representing 95 percent of the American male and female population in terms of
stature.
    "One of the most common misconceptions about the adjustable pedal is that
you have to be short to benefit from it," stated Dean McConnell, Director,
Actuation Product Line, Continental Teves, N.A.  "Drivers can now truly
'custom fit' their cars to their physical stature using the adjustable pedal,
tilt-steering and seat positioning features, which ultimately creates a more
comfortable ride."
    Continental Teves' adjustable pedal will soon be available on the
DaimlerChrysler Minivan and future full-size Ford SUVs.
    Other comfort options are tied together with the adjustable pedals on
selected vehicles.  Multiple drivers of the same vehicle can use the one-step
reset capability for added convenience and safety.  A memory device built into
the keypad coding system sets a drivers preferred seating position, which will
adjust the drivers seat, rearview mirrors, steering wheel and pedals.
    Continental Teves is also currently engaged in a national safe driving
initiative, "Drive Safer America!", which is designed to educate consumers
about safe driving habits, including the proper use and benefits of new safety
technologies.
    Continental Teves, headquartered in Frankfurt/Main Germany, is a unit of
Continental AG, Hannover, Germany.  With 1998 sales of US $2.3 billion,
Continental Teves is a world leader in the design, development and supply of
critical brake and chassis systems that contribute to driving safety, comfort,
convenience and peace-of-mind.  The company's North American headquarters is
located in Auburn Hills, Mich.