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Ford leads IIHS ratings with most ‘Top
Safety Picks.’
• Flex, Fusion, MKS and Milan rated the
Best.
Ford Motor Company has earned more “Top
Safety Pick” ratings from the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) than
any other automaker with a total of 16 to
date. Ford achieved this milestone
achievement besting its closest rival when
four of its 2009 models – Ford Flex, Ford
Fusion, Lincoln MKS and Mercury Milan –
won “Top Safety Pick” ratings from the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The Flex, Ford’s all-new head-turning
crossover, the new Lincoln MKS full-size
flagship sedan and the Fusion and Milan
midsize sedans build on the company’s
safety leadership. Ford also has more
5-star government crash test ratings than
any other automaker.
“Leading the industry in ‘Top Safety
Picks’ is great news, because IIHS tests
are some of the most demanding conducted
outside of our own laboratories, and
customers are increasingly relying on them
when choosing a new vehicle,” said Susan
Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of
Sustainability, Environment and Safety
Engineering.
To earn IIHS’s “Top Safety Pick,” vehicles
must earn the top “good” ratings in the
Institute’s high-speed front and side
crash
tests, and a rear crash test
simulation that evaluates seat and head
restraints. An added requirement since
2007 is that vehicles also must offer
electronic stability control.
Flex, MKS, Fusion and Milan excelled in
each of the Institute’s crash tests, and
AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control
is available for each vehicle. The safety
system uses sensors to detect and measure
yaw, or side-to-side skidding conditions,
by monitoring the vehicle’s speed,
throttle position and steering wheel
angle. When AdvanceTrac® senses wheel
slip, engine torque is reduced and braking
is applied where needed to help the driver
keep the car tracking on its intended
path. IIHS has stated that “AdvanceTrac
significantly reduces crash risk by
helping drivers maintain control of their
vehicles during emergency manoeuvres.”
IIHS said “Top Safety Pick” vehicles are
“at the head of the class for safety,” and
recognizing them as such “helps consumers
distinguish the best overall choices
without having to sort through multiple
test results.”
According to Ford’s safety engineers,
structural strength is a safety
fundamental. Flex, MKS, Fusion and Milan
get some of their core strength from the
use of lightweight aluminium-coated boron
steel – one of the strongest weld-able
materials – in the body structure. The use
of high-strength steel in the B-pillars is
only part of their robust safety profile.
Ford engineers also located the side door
intrusion beams to help manage and absorb
energy during side impact crashes.
“Flex and MKS are built on a platform that
has a tremendous safety heritage,” said
Steve Kozak, Ford’s chief engineer for
safety systems. “And Fusion and Milan
prove that a high level of safety can come
in a midsize package.” In addition to
electronic stability control and anti-lock
brakes, standard safety features on Flex,
MKS, Fusion and Milan include 6 standard
airbags (dual-stage driver and
front-passenger air bags, thorax side air
bags for front-seat occupants and
side-impact air curtains), safety belt
pretensioners, seat weight-sensing system
for the front passenger seat and
crash-severity sensing, all part of as
part of Ford's Personal Safety System®.
Ford’s BeltMinder®, a safety belt reminder
technology for the driver and front
passenger that takes over after the
initial safety belt reminder stops
chiming, is also integrated.
LATCH: The Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren system provides convenient
mounting points for compatible child
seats, while a Tyre Pressure Monitoring
System warns the driver if one or more
tyres are under inflated. An active
pressure sensor with a radio transmitter
is mounted inside each tyre. A receiver in
the vehicle monitors each transmitter, and
if tyre pressure is not within specific
limits, it will activate a visual warning
light.
Other key safety features on select models
include Adaptive Collapsible Steering
Column that collapses on an impact, Safety
Canopy® – Ford's exclusive side impact
protection system etc.
In Oman, Ford vehicles are brought you by
Arabian Car Marketing Co. LLC, a part of
the renowned Saud Bahwan group, along with
6 years unlimited mileage protection,
service and parts network that stretches
across the Sultanate, over 98% parts
availability - and Ford Privilege Card –
which provides 24 hours On-road assistance
from AAA, Oman’s premier On-road
Assistance Service Providers and exclusive
discounts from several premium
establishments across the country & UAE.
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