How the new rollover protection works.

DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2000 - Ford Motor Company will be the first to feature rollover sensors and special curtain rollover air bags on its sport utility vehicles during the 2001 model year.

"Ford scientists and engineers have been working hard to provide our truck customers with more potentially lifesaving features," says Helen Petrauskas, vice president, Environmental and Safety Engineering. "We've looked at the most threatening current driving conditions and developed new technologies to improve the protection for our SUV drivers and their families."

During the 2001 model year, Ford will offer optional new rollover sensors and inflatable side curtains on its SUVs. This breakthrough is made possible by the latest inflatable curtain technologies as well as advanced sensors that measure the amount of horizontal vehicle "roll" or tilt. The roll information is processed by a central control module that can trigger necessary rollover curtain bags in a fraction of a second - as quickly as 130 milliseconds.