Active/Passive Integration of Safety Features Highlights
Continental's Leadership
WASHINGTON, June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Automotive Systems, North
America, continues to build on more than a decade of crash prevention
leadership by displaying at ESV 2005 what it calls its Total Safety Vehicle
that combines innovative active and passive safety technologies.
Continental Senior Engineer Phil Headley will be a featured presenter at
the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) international safety conference in
Washington, DC, June 6-9, sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). He will explain that Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), which Continental in 1998 first introduced to the mass market, now is
considered "must have" safety equipment that is mentioned routinely with
safety belts and air bags.
"A year ago ESC was still mostly unknown outside the safety engineering
community. Today, it's the hottest safety equipment on the market. But the
challenge for all of us is to make sure consumers understand its value and
know how it works," Headley said. "At Continental we believe that educating
consumers is every bit as important as developing the latest and greatest
safety equipment. And we devote considerable resources to doing just that
from coast to coast."
Dean McConnell, Continental's Director of Occupant Safety & Driver
Assistance Systems said, "ESC is the cornerstone for a revolution in auto
safety that will make driving safer as well as enhance the enjoyment. These
are exciting times for all of us involved in improving motor vehicle safety
because technology is creating opportunities by leaps and bounds. What we
considered 'accidents' yesterday would simply not happen tomorrow because
technology solutions are entering the marketplace at a staggering pace."
Continental displayed its Total Safety Vehicle, a technology approach that
networks active and passive safety systems and uses integrated sensors. The
systems in the car actively monitor the traffic environment, and if a crash
potential is detected, initiate a staged response to help avoid danger and
keep the driver in control.
"The safety systems kick in when they are needed and drivers marvel at how
they are able to maintain control in fast-moving situations that otherwise
would likely result in a crash," McConnell said. "From an engineering
standpoint what could be more exciting than using available technology to
prevent a crash from happening and giving drivers more control?"
Similarly, ESC-equipped vehicles allow drivers to feel the system's
response when the vehicle could be about to roll or otherwise go out of
control. ESC is available on many cars, SUVs and light trucks and safety
experts urge consumers not to buy a new vehicle without it. Within the last
year NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluated ESC
and announced strikingly similar results from studies performed independently.
NHTSA preliminary research found that ESC was responsible for reducing
single vehicle crashes in passenger cars by 35 percent and in SUVs by 67
percent. The IIHS concluded that ESC reduced those crashes by 56 percent and
said it has the potential to save 7,000 lives a year.
A leading producer of ESC, Continental said ESC installations are growing
rapidly fueled by consumer awareness about its effectiveness. ESC is
available on more than 150 models today and the company estimates that by 2008
50 percent of new vehicles will be equipped with it. DaimlerChrysler
announced recently that ESC would be standard on its Grand Cherokee SUVs; Ford
that it will make ESC standard on full-sized SUVs; and GM that it will be
standard on all vehicles by 2010.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department
of Transportation recognized the efforts of Continental and its research staff
to make mobility safer by awarding Continental Automotive Systems head of
Advanced Engineering Dr. Peter Rieth with the U.S. Government's Award for
Safety Engineering Excellence, at ceremonies during the conference.
With 2004 sales of approximately $15 billion (US), Continental AG is a
major supplier of brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics,
tires and technical rubber products. Continental Automotive Systems' North
American operation is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich. For additional
information, visit these websites: http://www.conti-online.com and
http://www.contitevesna.com .
SOURCE Continental Automotive Systems
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Related links:
http://www.conti-online.com
http://www.contitevesna.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/437525.html
CONTACT:
Jim Gill, M.S., APR of Continental Automotive
Systems, +1-248-393-5210, cell: +1-248-882-6309,
jim.gill@usa.contiteves.com
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