'Safe Car of the Millennium' Award Presented to BMW
19 June 1999
Head Protection System Hailed as Major AchievementQUEBEC CITY, Quebec -- BMW was presented today with the "Safe Car of the Millennium" award by the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) in recognition of the company's Head Protection System (HPS) -- a safety engineering advance that can help reduce the risk of brain injury in the event of a severe side impact. This is the first ever award given by the IBIA to recognize an automobile manufacturer's contribution to the prevention of head injuries. "As motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of brain injury worldwide, BMW is to be applauded for their achievement in making automobiles safer," explains George A. Zitnay, PhD, President and CEO of the International Brain Injury Association. "BMW approached the problem of brain injuries resulting from automobile crashes with the idea that injury could be prevented -- not just minimized. As a result, they designed an innovative restraining system that surpasses current head injury restraint standards in the U.S. IBIA encourages other industries and manufacturers to follow the example set by BMW." In case of a side-impact collision, the Head Protection System (HPS) -- which is integrated in the A-pillar and roofline -- supplements the effect of the side airbags that are integrated in the door panels. Only this combination of cushioning devices helps to reduce head rotation and ensure a head-neck-spine alignment needed to help prevent serious head or spinal injuries. The HPS helps reduce risks in three major accident scenarios: -- It helps protect the head from contacting outside objects that are intruding into the car (poles, trees, etc.) -- It helps prevent passengers from being thrown out of the car, especially in rollover scenarios, and -- It helps keep the head, neck, and spine aligned and reduce head rotation BMW introduced the world's first Head Protection System for automobiles, an inflatable tubular device that deploys diagonally across the front side window, in 1997. Today, all BMW sedans and new 3 Series coupes come standard with this innovative safety device. BMW has a long history in safety-related innovations (please see enclosed BMW safety innovation timeline). The HPS is part of the BMW F.I.R.S.T. (Fully Integrated Road Safety Technology) philosophy that is made up of multiple active and passive safety modules. Founded in 1993, the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) is dedicated to providing international leadership for individuals and organizations throughout the world concerned with advancing opportunities and successes for people with brain injuries. Accordingly, IBIA supports and coordinates training of physicians, clinicians, educators, and other professionals, as well as family advocates. A non-profit organization, IBIA sponsors educational seminars, biennial world congresses, networking opportunities, research activities, and supports international public policy initiatives. IBIA actively promotes and communicates new technologies and advancements related to brain injury. Furthering its commitment to advance the understanding of brain injuries, IBIA merged with the International Association for the Study of Traumatic Brain Injury (IASTBI) in 1998. BMW entered the North American market in 1975. Since then, the company has grown to include marketing, sales and financial services organizations in the United States and Canada; a South Carolina manufacturing operation; a design firm in California; and various other operations throughout the U.S. and Canada. BMW is represented in North America through a network of more than 375 automobile and 190 motorcycle retailers in the United States and Canada. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the marque's North American headquarters is located in Woodcliff Lake, N.J. HPS Quick facts: -- The HPS is different in a number of ways from frontal air bags. Front air bags inflate in approximately 40 milliseconds; the HPS needs less than 20 milliseconds (0.020 seconds) for this task. Because there is no crumple zone on the side of the car as there is in the front, deployment reaction has to be much faster. -- Front air bags stay inflated for only about 150 milliseconds, while the HPS stays inflated for at least 7 seconds, an important factor in helping to prevent ejection in rollover accidents. -- The material used for the HPS has to withstand forces of up to 331 pounds and must also be able to remain in perfect condition in a hostile environment of heat up to 194 degrees Fahrenheit and temperatures below -31 degrees Fahrenheit for the estimated lifetime of a car, 15 years. -- The technology that made the HPS possible was originally developed to protect military helicopter pilots. -- With less sophisticated combination head/thorax bags, the person's head pushes and compresses the bag, while the HPS restrains a person's head and becomes a structural member of the vehicle. -- When inflated, the HPS forms a hollow, flexible, essentially airtight tube about 4 feet long and about 5 inches in diameter. -- The innovation of the HPS made new test procedures necessary. The so-called "pole test" was developed in cooperation between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and BMW AG. In this test, a car collides with a 10-inch pole at a speed of 18 mph. -- 50% of occupants in severe side impacts are injured; of these, 43% sustain head injuries. (NHTSA) BMW Safety Timeline 1999 Dual Stage Deployment for front airbags The system deploys the front airbags depending on crash severity: As gentle as possible, as powerful as necessary. Introduced in March 1999 with the 5 and 7 Series. 1998 Navigation/Mayday System First in the market to offer automated distress call system with navigation system. A touch of a button transmits the location of the vehicle and automatically opens up a direct line to a live person at BMW's Roadside Assistance Group for emergency response. 1997 Head Protection System Entirely concealed behind the headliner, above the front doors and within the A-pillar, the Head Protection System offers increased head protection in side impacts. When deployed, the Head Protection System inflates to become a structural part of the car by forming a straight line diagonally across the side window. When inflated, each unit forms a hollow, flexible, essentially airtight tube about 5 feet long and 5.1 inches in diameter. Introduced with the 1998 7 Series models it now comes standard also on all 5 Series as well as on the 3 Series sedans and coupes. Rear side airbags In extension of ASAP (Advanced Side Airbag Protection) BMW offers optional side impact protection for the rear passengers. First available with the 1998 7 Series they are now available as an option on all 5 and 7 Series as well as the new 3 Series sedans and coupes. Battery safety terminal The battery safety terminal (BST) will avoid short circuiting of the high amperage starter circuit in an event of a collision. BST is actuated by the air bag control unit and uses a pyrotechnical charge to separate the starter cable from the battery in a crash. 1996 Driver and passenger side airbags BMW's ASAP (Advanced Side Airbag Protection) system employs a large-area inflatable bag in each front door. Front side airbags protect the thorax in side impacts. Introduced with the 1995 model year 7 Series, side airbags are now standard on all BMW models. 1994 Dual Threshold Deployment of front airbags First in the United States to offer an "intelligent" safety system, the dual-threshold deployment system. When the safety belt is used, the airbag will not deploy at a lower crash severity, but only at the higher crash severity, where airbags are more effective. The "intelligent" safety system also knows if the passenger seat is occupied; if not, its airbag will not deploy, saving repair and insurance costs. Passenger seat occupancy recognition A sensor in the passenger seat recognizes if the seat is occupied or not. If the seat is not occupied, the airbag won't go off in the event of a collision, thus saving the expense of unnecessary replacement. Interlocking door anchoring system In each of the four doors is a diagonal aluminum reinforcement bar. The rear end of this bar is anchored to a hook-like member that, in the event of a serious side impact, "grabs" the body pillar. Thus the front door is "hooked into" the B-pillar, the rear door into the body's rear quarter -- helping hold the body side together as a unit for significantly increased strength. The system is designed so that after most impacts, elastic "snap-back" of the system releases the hooks and the doors can be opened. First introduced on the 1995 model year 7 Series it now comes standard with all BMW sedans and the new 3 Series coupes. 1992 Front passenger airbag The passenger's airbag is positioned in the top of the instrument panel. It has dual gas generators and inflates to more than twice the volume of the driver's airbag to provide restraint in the event of a frontal collision. 1990 Automatic front seat belt tensioners This system automatically tightens the front belts in a collision, further improving the restraint of occupants. It is integrated into the belt latches, mounted to the inboard side of each front seat. Upon impact the system pulls the latch downward to tighten both the shoulder and lap belt portions directly. 1989 Seat integrated belt system (SBS) By anchoring the entire belt system to the seat itself, SBS provides an optimum, consistent belt run. The shoulder belt, being anchored in a locking/clamping reel just behind the shoulder, is significantly shorter than one anchored to the lower body or B-pillar, so there's less belt stretch when the belt is restraining the occupant. Thus there is no need for a belt tensioner. 1986 Antilock braking system (ABS) BMW was the first manufacturer in the U.S. to offer ABS across the model line in 1986. The system minimizes wheel lock-up which can occur in inclement weather (like rain, ice or snow) but can also occur on a dry road. No matter how hard the driver brakes, the wheels do not lock up and skid. So, whether driving in a curve or straight, rough or smooth road, slick or dry -- the driver can safely steer the car under braking, potentially avoiding an accident. 1985 Driver's side front airbag Introduced the driver's airbag, which in a severe frontal impact inflates in less than 40 milliseconds and helps prevent the driver from being thrown against the steering wheel and dash. The airbag is a supplement to the use of the safety belt, the primary restraint system in the vehicle. Impact Sensor In the event of a collision, the impact sensor automatically unlocks the doors and turns on the four-way flashers and interior lights to facilitate rescue of the occupants. Adjustable seat belt anchoring points Front seat belt anchoring points are adjustable for height, either manually or automatically so that regardless of the size of the occupant, the ideal belt positioning can be established.