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Driving Smart

By Sheryll Alexander

More and better advanced safety technology is coming to your car with Ford’s new inflatable seat belts. Billed as “the world’s first automotive inflatable seat belts,” this new technology combines air bag technology with traditional seats belts to provide an “added level of crash safety protection for rear seat occupants,” says Ford.

Ford claims its inflatable seat belt system is “designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.”

While these advanced seat belts will eventually be offered globally on all Ford vehicles, the system will be introduced on North American-built 2011 Ford Explorers.

“Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear-seat passengers of all ages, especially for young children who are more vulnerable in crashes,” says Sue Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of sustainability, environmental and safety engineering. “This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership, including the most top safety ratings of any automaker."

How do inflatable seat belts work?

Ford engineers built these new seats belts to deploy over a rear passenger’s torso and shoulder in about 40 milliseconds after a car crash. In the event of a frontal or side crash, the inflatable belt’s increased diameter more effectively holds the occupant in the appropriate seating position, helping to reduce the risk of injury.

Here, Ford engineers describe in detail how the system works:

• Vehicle safety sensors determine the severity of the collision in the blink of an eye and deploy the inflatable belts’ air bags. Each belt’s tubular air bag inflates with cold compressed gas, which flows through a specially designed buckle from a cylinder housed below the seat.
• The inflatable belt’s accordion-folded bag breaks through the belt fabric as it fills with air, expanding sideways across the occupant’s body in about the same amount of time it takes a car traveling at highway speed to cover a yard of distance.
• The use of cold compressed gas instead of a heat-generating chemical reaction – which is typical of traditional air bag systems – means the inflated belts feel no warmer on the wearer’s body than the ambient temperature. The inflatable belts also fill at a lower pressure and a slower rate than traditional air bags, because the device does not need to close a gap between the belt and the occupant.
• The inflated belt helps distribute crash force energy across five times more of the occupant’s torso than a traditional belt, which expands its range of protection and reduces risk of injury by diffusing crash pressure over a larger area, while providing additional support to the head and neck. After deployment, the belt remains inflated for several seconds before dispersing its air through the pores of the air bag.

In Ford’s research, more than 90 percent of those who tested the inflatable seat belts found them to be similar to or more comfortable than a conventional belt because they feel padded and softer. Ford hopes this “comfort factor” could help improve the 61 percent rear belt usage rate in the U.S., which compares to 82 percent usage by front seat passengers, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

“It’s a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise reliable performance in a crash situation,” said Srini Sundararajan, safety technical leader for Ford research and advance engineering.

In fact, Ford introduced seat belts for its vehicles as optional equipment in 1955 and led the way in making driver and front-passenger air bags standard in most vehicles by 1993.

As for other advanced safety technologies, this year Ford introduced radar-enabled Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Collision Warning (CW) and its Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA). These technologies were introduced on the 2010 Ford Taurus and Fusion.

Bring on the advanced safety systems, Ford!

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Follow me! @sheryllalexande
Select photos via Ford Motor Company

No. 1: 2010 Chevrolet Traverse The top reason to pick the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is seating. Yes, the Chevy Traverse can fit up to eight people comfortably. In my road test, I found the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is a handsome, versatile, fun-to-drive CUV, cargo star (seven or eight passengers depending on trim level) and heavy hauler (up to 5,200 lbs.). Plus, the 2010 Chevy Traverse’s 3.6-liter, 288 hp V-8 is astonishingly powerful. And, this direct injection engine maximizes fuel, giving the Traverse great gas mileage at 24 mpg highway and 17 mpg city. Truly a SUV crossover, the 2010 Chevy Traverse feels like both truck and car when driving. The driver and passengers sit tall of the ground as in a truck and the suspension also feels like a truck in its bouncy suspension. Still, the 2010 Chevy Traverse has more of a passenger car feel in its overall easy drive, excellent handling and responsive braking. The exterior of the Chevy Traverse just looks cool with its Euro styling. The beefy chrome grill, swooping side lines, upswept windows and brash back side with rear spoiler make for a pleasant experience on the eyes and in the rear view mirror. The 2010 Chevy Traverse’s interior flows well with swooping lines, sexy textures, burnished chrome accents and three tones. The door panels, instrument panel, gauges and central console all seem to work together well to bring about a very pleasing feeling to the driver and passengers. Second- and third-row passengers, namely my kids, were also enamored with the 2010 Chevy Traverse’s intelligent interior design, which includes lots of cup holders, pockets, mobile device niches and plug-in adapters. Chevrolet also made sure to make the 2010 Traverse a safety super star. The vehicle has lots of advanced safety technologies. In fact, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has awarded the Chevy Traverse five stars in driver, front passenger and side rear passenger crash tests.

Busy families need reliable vehicles with great versatility, performance, fuel efficiency and affordability. Are you looking to buy a brand new family-friendly vehicle?

• The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is an exceptional crossover utility vehicle (CUV) for large families. With a seating capacity for seven, the 2010 Chevy Traverse also has loads of standard luxury features, lots of leg and cargo room, top safety marks, excellent design inside and out, overall great driving dynamics, advanced technology and pretty good fuel efficiency (24 mpg hwy, 17 mpg city).
• The 2010 Buick LaCrosse is one of GM’s best designed cars in a long time. This full-sized sedan has sexy Euro-Asian design outside and excellent performance, but the interior is truly cool with a truly unique central console and TV screens built into each back head rest. Plus, the Buick LaCrosse gets great fuel economy at 27 mpg hwy and 18 mpg city.
• The 2010 Suzuki SX4 has it all for busy families: low price, standard navigation, zippy performance, ergonomic interior, excellent safety and lots of cargo room. If you are seeking an all-wheel-drive vehicle for inclement weather, go for the Suzuki SX4 Crossover, which comes as a five-door hatchback model.
• The 2010 Ford Fusion has what American drivers need: form and function at a low price, excellent fuel economy (41 mpg city, 36 mpg hwy), a roomy and comfortable interior with quality materials and seriously fun performance. Plus, the Fusion comes with Ford’s way cool SYNC connectivity system.
• The redesigned 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 hits all the right notes with its low price tag, sophisticated modern design inside and out, exhilarating zoom-zoom performance and handling and a rather luxurious interior. Plus, the 2010 MAZDA3 has top notch fuel economy at 33 mpg hwy and 25 mpg city.
• The third generation 2010 Toyota Prius is one of best value family cars because this mid-sized hybrid gas-electric sedan is the most fuel efficient car on the road today (51 mpg city, 48 mpg hwy), has a high resale value, top quality, zippy performance, excellent safety rankings and advanced technology.
• The 2010 Ford Flex is possibly one of the most versatile family cars ever built. With room for eight (depending on trim level), the Flex’s long wheelbase gives each passenger lots of leg room even in the third row. Plus, the 2010 Ford Flex can feature a built-in refrigerator and Ford’s kick ass SYNC technology.
• Like the Chevrolet Traverse, GM’s 2010 Buick Enclave is an exceptionally-designed CUV. The 2010 Buick Enclave just has it ALL: really great performance, a sexy exterior, superb safety, lots of options and, above all, a super cool interior design.
• Although the Scion xB is designed mostly for the youth market, the 2010 Scion xB is a super versatile vehicle for families. In fact, the Scion xB is one of my most favorite cars to drive because of its versatility, overall excellent design and smooth performance.
• For families who love good design, the 2010 Nissan Maxima is one of the prettiest sedans on the road with its combination of graceful and sporty exterior, excellent performance (amazing handling, suspension and acceleration), well-designed interior and totally comfortable seating.

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Follow me! @sheryllalexande