I like this new safety feature from Ford: offer customers inflatable seat belts to protect rear occupants who don’t have the benefit of an air bag to protect them in a frontal crash. Sure, many cars now come with side curtain air bags, but when it comes to a head on collision, rear seating passengers don’t have all the protection that they need.

Ford Safety Innovation Laboratory-Dean Jaradi, Advance Research Engineer of the inflatable belt, Ford Motor Company, speaks to media as Ford introduces the auto industry's first-ever production inflatable seat belts, which are designed to provide additional protection for rear-seat occupants.

Well, buyers of the next generation Ford Explorer — due out next year — will find that they’ll have one more reason why to consider Ford when shopping for a sport utility vehicle. That vehicle will include the new feature which Ford says will protect occupants including small children who are most vulnerable in an accident.

Crash test dummies, large and small, get to prove that Ford's inflatable seat belts are a smart idea for families. The all new safety feature debuts with the next generation Ford Explorer next year.

“Ford is pioneering inflatable seat belt technology to help enhance crash safety protection, while encouraging more people to buckle up with a more comfortable belt,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford vice president, Engineering, Global Product Development.

Ford Explorer

Speaking of the Ford Explorer, the next generation model will be a clean departure from the current model. Instead of residing on a truck chassis, the Explorer will be underpinned by a car chassis. Thus, the 2011 Explorer will probably lose its SUV designation in favor of CUV — crossover utility vehicle.

Autoblog and some other sites have published spy photos of the next generation Explorer which give the vehicle a more wagon-like appearance, more rounded than the squared off Flex.

Source: Ford Motor Company

Tiny as they are, Smart Fortwos perform quite well in IIHS crash tests thanks to its built in safety cage.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an association of auto insurance companies who track how well vehicles perform in a crash. These tests go far in helping member companies decide how much to charge customers, which means automakers know that a low score could result in higher insurance premiums. High premiums can keep shoppers away from purchasing a particular model, thus the importance of performing well.

Thousands Killed Annually In Rollovers

Up until recently the IIHS tested cars for front, side and rear impact, but they didn’t test these cars for roof impact which happens as a result of vehicle roll overs. Roof strength is critical because if your roof collapses, you and your passengers could be seriously injured or killed. About 10,000 people are killed annually due to rollovers, which is about one-fourth of all vehicle deaths in the US.

To roll out its new test, the IIHS decided to test the smallest cars on the road – a group of micro and mini-cars that may soon become dominate on our roads especially if gas prices begin to surge once again. The Smart Fortwo, Chevy Aveo, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Hyundai Accent were each tested with some surprising results – the Fortwo’s roof was the strongest while the Aveo was the weakest, the latter model given a “marginal” rating by the IIHS.

Smart Fortwo Cage

IIHS research has shown that car roofs have gotten strong lately, which is good news for consumers. In the case of the Smart Fortwo, which is enveloped in a safety cage, roof strength is superior to most cars on the road.

“We anticipate that our roof strength test will drive improved rollover crash protection the same way our frontal offset and side tests have led to better occupant protection in these kinds of crashes,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “Small cars should have an easier time with the roof strength test,” Lund explains. “Their light weight means their roofs don’t have to work as hard to keep the structure around the occupants intact in a rollover.”

More Tests Soon

Likely, we’ll hear some pretty bad news as the IIHS test expands to incorporate more body styles with SUVs expected to perform poorly. Minivans, crossovers and any other larger vehicle will probably have a difficult time getting a score above acceptable with perhaps marginal being the common score among some segments.

Source: IIHS

See Also — IIHS Recognizes Ford Safety Among This Year’s Top Picks

You’ve done your home work and found a car that costs under $15,000 and that price includes air conditioning, six airbags, and a nifty sound system. With highway gas mileage approaching 35 mpg, you’re certain that you found one of today’s steals, a car that won’t drain your wallet.

Crash! Your Car Has Sustained Damage

Many months later you’re driving down the highway and all of sudden you come upon a sea of brake lights, but it is too late for you to stop. Bang! Your front bumper whacks into the pick up truck in front of you, with pieces of headlight and the grille flying everywhere. You’re okay and so is the other driver, whose rear bumper absorbed the crash quite well. On inspection of the damage, you’re sure that the cost of repairs won’t be too high, maybe requiring you to be without your car for a few days while it gets fixed.

Your insurance company quickly dispatches an agent who takes one look at the front end of your car and makes a face, one combining a look of frustration and disgust. While you’re certain that the $500 deductible will be all that you’ll have to pay, you’re stunned to learn that the damages incurred by what amounts to be a fender bender nears $5000, almost one third the price that you paid for the car.

Shocking Repair Bills For Some Cars

You’re relieved to know that the good insurance coverage on your Hyundai Elantra means that your share of the collision bill is just $500, but you’re amazed that repair costs on this type of car is so high. Now you understand why your rates went up when you purchased your Hyundai as the insurance company was covering their backside when they agreed to insure your vehicle.

Though the story is made up, the facts are true: some small cars carry a big burden, namely a potentially huge insurance liability when covered by the insurance company. And, because insurance rates are based on risk, your premium reflects that cost, potentially increasing your auto insurance costs several hundred dollars per year, per vehicle.

The Ford Focus, An Insurance Industry Leader

The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), which is an independent, nonprofit, research and communication organization funded by auto insurers recently ran a low-speed crash test on 20 different models and came to the conclusion that several cars are quite vulnerable to suffering major losses in crash tests involving either full or corner front damage or full or corner rear damage. The Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius, and Volkswagen Rabbit had the steepest losses while the Ford Focus performed the best in the class followed by the Scion xB and Scion xD.

The big difference between models? Bumpers! Ford’s bumper bars are long and sit higher, allowing the car to sustain minimal damage in an accident. The Prius, on the other hand, incurred by far the most damage when hit squarely in the rear, a near $4000 repair that would have cost only $529 on the Focus.

So, before you buy that economical car, you may want to call your insurer first to find out what your costs will be. It could be that your insurance premium will be extra high, which should give you pause before going with that model.

The IIHS low speed crash test ratings for small cars.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/your-economy-car-and-crash-repairs-surprising-results-555098.html

About the Author:

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in Cary, North Carolina. Matt provides magazine, web content, and article writing services to clients all over the world serving the automotive, human interest, and business communities. Matthew Keegan | Musings is his personal weblog.

Chinese Automaker Retests Its Failed Sedan

Let’s face it: when it comes to building reliable and safe vehicles, the People’s Republic of China has a lot to learn.

Brilliance China Auto (or Brilliance) was proven to be quite daft when they had one of their sedans tested, the BS 6 (good name!), and it failed miserably. Scoring just a “1″ on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 for the Euro NCAP cars safety test, the BS 6 quickly became the poster child for crappy Chinese products.

The first test was completed in June 2007 and the wreck it produced was nothing short of a disaster. The two frontal airbags deployed, but that didn’t stop a crash test dummy from hitting its head on the dashboard. Moreover, the doors jammed shut, pinning the passengers inside, and the windshield worked its way loose and was shot over the front of the car. The following YouTube video depicts the carnage:

After the test, the engineers from Brilliance met with German engineers to seek their advice on how to improve the car. Less than three months later the modified car was readied and a second test was held where Brilliance’s safety score jumped to a 3. Now, before you marvel at the score, consider this: even the tiny Smart Fortwo scores a “4″ and quite a few American, Japanese, and European models routinely get top scores.

Check out this next video for the updated Brilliance test:

Related to this second crash the China Car Times published an article titled, “Brilliance BS6, not as lethal as before.” I commend the Chinese for their accuracy and their honesty, but when it comes to my cars, safety is paramount.

Last year, I wrote an article detailing Brilliance’s trouble and I’m sure I’ll come across more information in the future about this company that should be given plenty of press.

We’re not likely to see the first Chinese imports before 2010, but when they do arrive, I hope their safety and quality standards measure up. If not, you’d best avoid what even the Chinese press recognizes as a lethal car.