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Simula Shares Lifesaving Crash Results in Government Testimony

20 April 1999

Simula Shares Lifesaving Crash Results in Government Testimony; Regulators Consider Technologies for Side-Impact Accidents

    WASHINGTON and PHOENIX, April 19 Simula, Inc.
said today that its side-impact head protection system, the Inflatable Tubular
Structure ("ITS") is saving lives without exposing automobile occupants to
unnecessary risk.  Bruce Farr, Global Marketing Manager for Simula Automotive
Safety Devices, testified today at a National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) hearing on side-impact airbag safety.
    NHTSA is soliciting public comments about the efficacy of side-impact
airbags and other systems.  The purpose of the NHTSA hearing, held at the
U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., was to ensure "that
these products enhance public safety, and at the same time do not pose undue
risks," said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Ricardo Martinez.
    Martinez commented in his opening remarks that "the news has been good so
far -- we have seen evidence that side airbags are reducing injury,
particularly head injury, and we have not seen unintended adverse side
effects."
    "I want to make it very clear that the ITS system is differentiating
itself from others out there," Farr noted.  "This system offers additional
safety benefits not available in other side-impact devices," he added.  He
described the system's superior head protection, extended inflation time, and
non-aggressive deployment as some of the primary features that distinguish the
ITS from other side-impact systems.  Farr also provided results of testing
conducted to gauge the performance of the ITS system for children and adults
who are out of position in vehicles.  The test results showed minimal risk of
injury in all cases.  "Importantly, said Farr, "this system has been out there
for two years now, saving lives."
    Farr provided supporting evidence that Simula's ITS system, which was
introduced on BMW vehicles in 1997, has already shown dramatic results in
protecting drivers and passengers in side impact collisions.  Farr cited
two examples of recent real-world crashes in which the occupants' injuries
were significantly mitigated by the deployment of the ITS system.
    One crash, in Plano, Texas, involved a pickup truck that slammed into the
passenger sided of an ITS-equipped vehicle where a 12 year-old female was
seated.  "In this case," Farr told the assembly, "not only did the ITS prevent
injury, but it also demonstrated its effectiveness in protecting children,
without placing them at unnecessary risk."
    Farr also cited as evidence a February 1999 multiple vehicle crash that
propelled a 3-series BMW with a 27-year-old female driver across a high-speed
U.S. freeway in Phoenix, Arizona.  Despite being broadsided by several
full-size pickup trucks, the driver survived and is making a full recovery.
    Simula's head-protection system is a standard feature on BMW 3-series,
5-series, and 7-series sedans, and is scheduled for production in five other
models made by various automakers.  Another Simula product, called the
Inflatable Tubular Torso Restraint ("ITTR"), which is an inflatable seatbelt,
is currently under development for both military and commercial applications.
    Simula is known worldwide for its diversified technology and engineering
capabilities in designing and manufacturing occupant safety systems and
devices engineered to safeguard human life in a wide range of air, ground, and
sea-transportation vehicles.  The Company operates three principal lines of
business that are aligned with its core technologies; automotive safety
systems, government and defense, and commercial transportation seating.
    Additional information about Simula can be found at its Web-side,
http://www.simula.com .