Continental's 'Safely There' Exhibit Highlighting Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Technology Visits the New England Auto Show

What: Continental's Safely There mobile exhibit, highlighting ESC and other accident avoidance technologies currently available on new vehicles. The exhibit is open to the public and features interactive, multimedia displays. Visitors can "test drive" a vehicle with/without electronic stability control in a sophisticated, 3-D driving simulator.

  When:  Saturday, Nov. 1 - Saturday, Nov. 8, during New England Auto Show
          hours

  Where:  Bayside Expo Center, 200 Mt. Vernon Street, just outside of the
           main entrance

Why: In 2002, 42,815 people were killed and approximately 3 million people were injured in the estimated 6.3 million passenger vehicle crashes.

Traffic deaths in 2002 reached the highest level since 1990, and fatalities in rollover crashes accounted for 82 percent of the increase in 2002, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There has been a steady drumbeat of warnings about the dangers of rollovers, especially in SUVs.

* But available safety equipment that is widely used in Europe and elsewhere that could prevent more than 5,000 rollover deaths every year is still unknown to most Americans. The Continental "Safely There" exhibit demonstrates this currently available technology to the public.

* The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended recently that the NHTSA expand and expedite its current evaluation of electronic stability control and consider whether to require it in all passenger vehicles.

* Continental, a major automotive supplier of electronic stability control and other safety equipment, is conducting a national educational road tour to promote consumer awareness about preventing rollover crashes, injuries and fatalities. More information is available at www.conti-online.com or www.contitevesna.com

B-roll: Dramatic b-roll of rollover crashes and electronic stability control effectiveness is available.

PRNewswire -- Oct. 30