SOUNDBITES: FORD'S NEW CURVE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY

Earlier today Ford Motor Company revealed it's latest pioneering effort on the next frontier of crash-avoidance innovations. It's called Curve Control. Dave Messih (Mess-Eye) supervisor of brake control software says Curve Control can apply automatic four-wheel braking to help drivers when cornering too quickly on a curve, the type of situation that currently represents a disproportionately high number of serious-injury crashes.

Click on to hear audio. Use right mouse click to download.

Cut #1:	"If the driver wants to turn more tightly then the vehicle is actually turning, Curve Control is a system that will help the vehicle reduce speed, first through engine torque reduction and secondly through four wheel braking to help bring the speed of the vehicle down." :15 sec.
	This innovation builds on a string of technologies that can help customers avoid crashes and fender benders while giving them more peace of mind, Messih says the technology will be offered as a standard, no-cost feature on the next-generation Explorer later in 2010.
Cut #2:	"It'll first be introduced on the 2011 model year Explorer." :04 sec.
	Freeway off ramps and on ramps are common situations where vehicles may be going too fast for the curve. Messih says the Ford Curve Control system is fully automatic and is capable of slowing the vehicle quicker than most drivers can react.
Cut #3:	"Once the system senses the vehicle is not maintaining the turn the driver wants to maintain will come in and help reduce speed very quickly. We estimate that we can reduce speeds approximately 10mph in a little over a second, much quicker than most drivers can react, and that will allow the vehicle to maintain the path." :15 sec.
	Ford’s Curve Control could help reduce risks in the thousands of crashes on curves that currently represent a disproportionately high number of serious-injury crashes.
Cut #4:	"Ford's Curve control system could potentially mitigate approximately 50,000 light vehicle tow-away crashes per year and that comes from the light vehicle tow-away crash data base." :09 sec.
	Messih says you can expect this curve control technology on other Ford vehicles in the future.
Cut #5:	We're initially targeting our larger vehicles, those with Roll Stability Control, those would be the first to get Ford's Curve Control system secondarly look at a roll- out to our sedans." :08 sec.

If you are already logged in and are seeing this message, your web browser is blocking session cookies. Change your browser cookie settings to allow session cookies.