(December 26, 2010) DEARBORN, Mich. — The reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer, which offers a suite of innovative safety technologies, is the latest Ford vehicle to earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
 
Ford now has eight vehicles on the road in the U.S. that have earned Top Safety Picks, which adds to Ford’s leading number of top U.S. safety ratings ever.
 
“The Ford Explorer sets a new standard for high-tech safety innovation,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

“The Explorer offers several new innovative technologies, including available industry-first production rear inflatable seat belts, and Curve Control, which can help drivers maintain control of a vehicle if they enter a curve too quickly.”
 
To earn a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must receive a rating of “good” in offset frontal-, side- and rear-impact crash tests and roof strength evaluations, as well as offer electronic stability control.
 
Initial demand for the driver-aid technologies on the new 2011 Explorer has been strong. Of the first 19,000 orders received:
 
      • 22 percent include adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning, active park assist and rain-sensing wipers
 
      • 40 percent include BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert

      • 87 percent include rear view camera

“Explorer has a history of safety innovation, from side-curtain airbags to AdvanceTrac® with RSC (Roll Stability Control), and now offering the world’s first production rear inflatable seat belts,” said Craig Patterson, Explorer marketing manager. “Explorer customers value safety and security. Safety features are one of the top reasons customers cite for their purchases of Explorer and SUVs in general.”
 
The new Ford inflatable rear seat belts spread impact forces across five times more area than conventional seat belts to reduce pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion. The auto industry’s first-ever production inflatable seat belts are designed to provide additional protection for rear-seat occupants, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries.
 
Ford is pioneering the next frontier of safety with crash-avoidance innovations such as Curve Control, designed to help drivers maintain control of their vehicle when taking a curve too quickly, a situation found to contribute to approximately 50,000 crashes on curves each year in the U.S. alone.
 
Curve Control senses when a vehicle is entering a curve too quickly, and can apply four-wheel smart braking to reduce vehicle speed by up to 10 mph in approximately one second and help drivers follow their intended path.