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Ford Statement on NHTSA Supplemental Notice

2 November 1999

Ford Statement on NHTSA Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking For Advanced Restraints

    DETROIT, Nov. 2 -- The following statement can be attributed
to Lou Camp, Director of the Automotive Safety Office at Ford Motor Company
:

    "We believe the recently proposed supplemental rulemaking by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is moving in the right direction
and will support industry efforts to further improve motor vehicle safety in
the coming years.
    "We are encouraged that NHTSA appears to recognize the importance of
maintaining the use of depowered air bags, along with the advancements
automakers, including Ford, are already making to develop advanced restraint
systems.
    "This year, Ford introduced a more advanced restraint system designed well
in advance of this proposed rulemaking.  Elements of Ford's Personal Safety
System recently debuted on the 2000 model year Taurus.
    "Technologies include a collection of sensors that take into account the
driver's seat position, driver and front passenger safety belt usage and
accident severity during frontal collisions.  In addition, dual stage air bags
offer two deployment energy levels, safety belt pretensioners tighten the
front belts helping to more securely restrain belted occupants during a crash,
and energy management retractors release small amounts of safety belt webbing
to help further reduce the risk of force-related injuries, especially to the
occupant's chest.
    "The Personal Safety System will be introduced into Ford's lineup over the
next several years.  It is one of many actions Ford is taking to help better
protect occupants in a broad range of accidents.  The system further enhances
occupant safety well ahead of any actual regulation."