Bosch Reminds Drivers to Exercise Caution This Busy Summer Travel Season

Company has been improving windshield wiper technology for greater automobile safety for 80 years

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., May 10 -- As families across the United States prepare to embark on their vacations this summer, Bosch, the company that has been making and improving windshield wipers for almost 80 years, advises drivers to check the condition of their vehicles' wipers, and replace them if needed, so that they are well prepared to tackle all rain- related challenges that the weather may throw at them.

Wiper blades and even arms are often damaged due to being subjected to harsh treatment and improper use in the winter when drivers use them to clear ice, frost and significant amounts of snow from their windshields. Wipers are then subjected to heavy usage, and consequent wear and tear, in the showers that arrive with spring. Therefore, it is important that drivers attend to damaged wipers for their own safety, the safety of their passengers, cargo and all other road users.

Bosch, which makes wiper blades for virtually every vehicle on the road, recommends that drivers look out for the following indications to determine if they have worn-out wipers:

     I.   Streaks, smears, unwiped areas on the windshield
    II.   Chattering, skipping wiper blades
   III.   Nicked, cracked or separated rubber elements
    IV.   Noisy wiping action due to worn-out wiper blade joints

  Significant milestones in Bosch wiper innovation

2006 marks Bosch's 100th year of operating in the U.S. For eighty of those years, Bosch has been advancing wiper technology as one aspect of auto safety.

  * Windshield wipers introduced in 1926
  * Windshield washer pump assembly introduced in 1959
  * Wiper interval switch introduced in 1971
  * Headlight wiper introduced in 1972
  * Anti-torsion, rivet-free wiper blades introduced in 1973
  * Rear-window wiper introduced in 1975
  * Heatable dual nozzle for windshield washing systems introduced in 1982
  * Winter wiper introduced in 1984
  * Spoiler wiper blade introduced in 1986
  * Electronic contact force control for windshield wipers introduced in
     1987
  * Rain sensor for windshield wipers introduced in 1995
  * Dual-rubber wiper blade technology introduced in 1995
  * Wiper arm with stroke control introduced in 1995
  * Joint-free wiper blade introduced in 2000

Additional information on wipers can also be accessed at: http://www.boschusa.com/AutoParts/FAQs/WiperBlades/

The Bosch Group is a leading global manufacturer of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In fiscal 2005, some 251,000 associates generated sales of 41.5 billion euros (51.7 bn USD). Set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering," the Bosch Group today comprises a manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service network of more than 280 subsidiaries and more than 12,000 Bosch service centers in over 140 countries.

In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs nearly 23,000 associates in more than 80 primary and 20 associated facilities throughout the region with reported sales of $8.4 billion in 2005. This year marks Bosch's 100th year of operating in the U.S. For more information on the company and the Centennial, visit www.bosch.us.