Parent Talk / August 2007
Road Rave
Considering the amount of time people spend in their car, the speeds they travel, and the distractions they endure, parents have every reason to look for the safest car possible when choosing a family vehicle or a car for their teenager.
The 2008 Ford Taurus X crossover has received a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for achieving the highest available individual ratings in front-, side- and rear-impact crash protection. The Taurus also received the highest five-star crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Taurus X crossover and the Taurus and Sable family cars received top crash test ratings from both IIHS and NHTSA. The IIHS Top Safety Pick rating can only be earned by vehicles that achieve the best-available safety performance in front, side and rear collisions and offer electronic stability control.
The highest rear impact rating was awarded because the vehicles’ effective protection against neck injuries. The highest front and side impact ratings were given for withstanding intrusion into the occupant compartment.
Ford and Volvo engineers worked together to create the vehicle’s innovative structure, featuring crush zones that transfer energy around the passenger compartment. The structure of the Taurus X, Taurus and Sable family cars are engineered with crush zones designed to direct excess energy around the passenger compartment into a high-strength safety cage. An innovative cross-car beam under the front seats reinforces the structure between the B-pillars, which helps direct energy away from passengers.
All three vehicles offer an industry-first, two-row Safety Canopy™ side air bag system that not only enhances protection in side-impact collisions, but also deploys in rollover accidents. Side-impact protection comes from a combination of air bag technology and structural features that help safeguard occupants by channeling crash energy away from the passenger compartment.
An advanced air bag controller uses front passenger classification sensing to determine if the seat is occupied, and if so, whether the passenger is a large or small person. Air bag deployment is tailored – or altogether suppressed – to help provide an appropriate level of protection. The lower anchors and tethers for children, or LATCH system, provide mounting points for compatible child seats in the second row.
Nearly all Ford sport utility and crossover vehicles, and the Taurus X, come with standard AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control and available all-wheel drive to provide drivers with better handling in varying weather conditions. The electronic stability control systems enhance vehicle safety by helping the driver prevent accidents in unexpected conditions.
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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