She also pointed out that the company has also done pretty well with safety to date, since "Our vehicles have earned more NHTSA five-star frontal crash test ratings and more IIHS frontal offset crash test Best Picks than any other manufacturer."
Cischke noted that another important test conducted at the new facility is the Occupant Out-of-Position test. "This test provides data used to design air bags and safety belts that help prevent injuries to occupants of all sizes -- including children -- in a variety of collisions. The 2006 Ford Explorer, for example, has adaptive air bags, which uses inputs from various vehicle sensors to alter air bag deployment depending on the position and size of the occupant."
The safety upgrades at Ford were not limited to the Dearborn facility, Martens noted. The company Ford spent US$10 million to renovate its proving grounds in Whitman, Arizona , last year. New and advanced features in the southwestern desert include a 36-bay garage, a 3.37 km straightaway, steering and handling course, lane-change pad, a vehicle dynamics circle, and mini-ride roads.
The Dearborn Proving Ground that's part of the complex here is also undergoing extensive renovation for an all-new track with advanced testing technology, Martens said, with details to be announced at a later date.
Together with its operations around the world, Ford has four full-vehicle crash facilities and seven collision simulators testing full-restraint systems in North America , Europe and Japan.
photo:Ford Motor Company
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| (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
The safety upgrades at Ford were not limited to the Dearborn facility, Martens noted. The company Ford spent US$10 million to renovate its proving grounds in Whitman, Arizona , last year. New and advanced features in the southwestern desert include a 36-bay garage, a 3.37 km straightaway, steering and handling course, lane-change pad, a vehicle dynamics circle, and mini-ride roads.
The Dearborn Proving Ground that's part of the complex here is also undergoing extensive renovation for an all-new track with advanced testing technology, Martens said, with details to be announced at a later date.
Together with its operations around the world, Ford has four full-vehicle crash facilities and seven collision simulators testing full-restraint systems in North America , Europe and Japan.
photo:Ford Motor Company
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