TRW Automotive Sees Rising Interest in Rollover and Side Impact Protection

Provides more than 100 vehicle models with rollover or side impact airbags for 2004

LIVONIA, Mich., Nov. 3 -- TRW Automotive, the global leader in automotive safety, is supplying rollover curtain or side impact airbags for more than 100 car, light truck and sport utility vehicles for the 2004 model year.

"We continue to see increasing customer and consumer interest in rollover curtain and side impact airbag systems," said Peter J. Lake, vice president, Sales and Business Development for TRW Automotive. "In the 2003 model year, 40 percent of all passenger vehicles offered head-protecting curtain or side airbags. That number is expected to grow to 47 percent in 2004. Curtain and side airbags are clearly becoming more widely available as technology advances to meet the unique challenges of rollover and side impact collisions, and TRW holds over 100 patents as we continue to develop and refine these systems.

"In addition, recent research* shows that more than three-quarters of consumer respondents said that rollover canopy or side impact airbags would be important or very important in their next vehicle purchase decision. The demand for these vital safety features is most definitely on the rise," Lake said.

TRW is a leading developer and the first supplier to introduce a safety canopy airbag system for the 2002 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer and in the 2003 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator and the Explorer Sport Trac. In 2004, TRW will supply additional Ford models as well as systems for BMW, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors. These systems help to protect occupants in the event of side impacts or even vehicle rollovers.

TRW's rollover airbag systems employ innovative new bag sealing and cold- gas inflator technologies that enable them to deploy rapidly and remain inflated for a longer duration than traditional airbags.

Working closely with the vehicle manufacturers, TRW has also developed a wide variety of airbag options for injury mitigation in a vehicle side impact. These include thorax, head and combined head/thorax air bag systems and new developments such as pelvic airbags, as well as electronic impact sensors.

Currently, TRW supplies side impact airbags for front seating positions of vehicles such as the Mercedes Benz C Class, Lincoln Town Car, and a range of General Motors SUVs and vans including the Buick Rendezvous, Chevrolet Venture, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Aztek. These TRW systems were designed in conjunction with its customers to further enhance vehicle safety on models that are already among the safest on the road. All have received five-star ratings in side impact crash tests for the North American or European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

About TRW

With sales of $10.6 billion in 2002, TRW Automotive ranks among the top 10 suppliers in the world. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the company employs approximately 63,000 people in 22 countries. Its products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services. TRW Automotive news is available on the Internet at www.trwauto.com .

* Research conducted by Dohring Company, July 2003. This consumer study was conducted online among a sample of 500 Americans age 18 or older who have purchased or leased a new vehicle within the past three years. The margin of error for the sample is +/- seven percent.