Ford steps up research in safety devices

(Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Among the countless advanced features and technologies offered on today's vehicles, experts say the single most important safety device remains the safety belts. Government studies show that more than 2,000 deaths and thousands of injuries could be prevented annually if the current 82% rate of safety belt use climbed to 90%.

Now, imagine if those safety belts were more sophisticated and adapted to the various types of passengers. How many more lives could that save?

With that in mind, Ford Motor Company, the first automaker to offer seat belts as standard equipment in 1964, is now researching two next-generation belt technologies.

The first one is an inflatable safety belt. A strap of air bag material, hidden in the seat belt webbing, inflates into a cylindrical shape when frontal air bags deploy. These inflatable belts spread forces from a vehicle crash over a broader section of the body than traditional, two-inch-wide safety belts, helping to reduce the pressure on the chest and to control the motion of the head and neck.

The inflatable belt is reportedly effective for enhancing protection of rear occupants, including children and the elderly. When not inflated, its ''padded'' feeling makes it more comfortable than a standard safety belt. Ford showed a prototype version in the Reflex concept at the 2006 Detroit auto show.

(Photo: Ford Motor Company)

The other possible next-generation safety belt incorporates a 4-point "belt and suspenders" design (that buckles at the center of the waist) instead of the familiar 3-point safety belt.

A robust 4-point belt design should help more evenly distribute crash energy during an accident, thus reducing the amount applied to any single part of the chest. This innovation is especially important for old drivers, who have less crash tolerance for belt forces than young drivers.

While the 4-point safety belt currently is not certified, Ford holds two patents for the new technology.

"A number of technical challenges still need to be overcome," said Dr. Priya Prasad, Ford Technical Fellow for Safety. "If we are successful in implementing these technologies, we will be redefining the nature of future occupant restraint systems."

Prasad also mentioned that its company is working hard to offer more standard safety features in the 2007 line-up. For instance, the Safety Canopy system (side curtain airbags) with rollover sensor will now be standard on 14 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, all of them mid- and full-size SUVs and sedans. Moreover, by 2007, the BeltMinder system will be expanded to include right front-passengers on additional vehicles as a part of the company's Personal Safety System.