TRW Automotive Occupant Vision System First of its Type to Meet Government Regulations

LIVONIA, Mich., July 21 -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. today announced that the occupant sensing vision system developed by its TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc. subsidiary now meets the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) FMVSS 208 static test requirements for out-of-position occupant sensing, and is the first system of its type to have been recognized by TRW customers for this achievement.

TRW's occupant sensing vision system can also perform dynamic out-of- position detection by identifying and tracking the position of an occupant's head in the vehicle; airbag deployment will be suppressed if the vision occupant sensor determines that the occupant is in the "keep out" zone with respect to the airbag.

The system uses a stereo camera to monitor the vehicle passenger compartment from its mounting location in the overhead console. The camera circumference is roughly the size of a dime and is about 2 inches long. The TRW system is now a production-intent, embedded design utilizing a cost- effective, automotive-grade Digital Signal Processing (DSP) microprocessor. TRW Automotive has development contracts in North America and Asia for its occupant sensing vision system.

"These are significant steps in our efforts to have production-ready vision systems for occupant sensing by the 2007 model year," said Doug P. Campbell, vice president, Engineering for TRW's Occupant Safety Systems business. "While TRW and other suppliers are currently supplying weight-based systems that indirectly infer occupant presence and size, the vision-based system can sense occupants in real-time and can accurately sense out-of- position situations, such as a passenger head or other part of the body, in close proximity to an airbag. It can also accurately recognize the size of the passenger or the presence of an infant seat -- all key parts of NHTSA's regulations."

About TRW

With 2003 sales of $11.3 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's top 10 automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, employs approximately 61,000 people in 23 countries. TRW 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. All references to "TRW Automotive", "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. TRW Automotive news is available on the Internet at http://www.trwauto.com/ .