DEARBORN, Mich – The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) today named the all-new 2013 Fusion a Top Safety Pick.
To earn a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must receive a rating of “Good” in the following evaluations: offset frontal impact, side impact, dynamic head restraint and roof strength testing.
“The new Fusion is another example of Ford’s commitment to the highest standards of safety and we are proud that IIHS has recognized these efforts,” said Steve Kenner, global director of the Automotive Safety Office.
The all-new Fusion features the Personal Safety System with new safety belt technologies and frontal impact airbags.
The Personal Safety System is a network of components that work together to tailor the deployment of the front airbags during frontal collisions. The restraint control module (RCM) translates information collected by the front crash sensors, front outboard safety belt buckle switches, driver-seat track position and passenger seat weight sensor. Using this information, the RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and determines how the dual-stage front airbags will deploy. This tailored deployment is designed to better protect an occupant by adapting its release to the size of the person.
The redesigned seat-mounted side airbags deploy lower in the pelvis area in addition to the chest and incorporate new venting technology. The side airbag’s venting technology takes into account the size of the occupant. The tunnel vent on the seat mounted side airbag is designed to line up with the shoulder area of a larger occupant keeping the side airbag from venting. On smaller passengers, the effect is just the opposite because the occupant’s shoulder is below the vent, the gas vents out of the airbag.
The driver’s frontal airbag uses a reconfigured curve-shaped tether system that pulls in the lower section to create a pocket that help to lessen the impact of the airbag on the driver’s chest and ribs in frontal crashes. Deploying at the same time is a driver’s knee airbag.
Source: PRNewswire / Ford
