Ford’s New Big Idea

It’s been a long time coming but one of the big three auto makers made a big hit with parents everywhere yesterday. They introduced inflatable seat belts for the rear seats. In other words, cars will now have a suitable version of the air bag for rear seat passengers!

I traveled to Dearborn this week to witness the big announcement and was not disappointed. I was able to see and touch the new inflatable seat belt and try it out myself. Plus, I received a tour of the safety lab This was really cool for a geeky person like me who likes to know all the whys and wherefores, though I had to strain to remember college physics concepts like g force and energy dissipation.

I was quite excited about this new option which will be available on 2011 model cars as an option…though at what cost and in what packages still seems to be a bit fuzzy.

This is a big deal because, as was explained to use, children’s bigger heads, softer bones and different proportions leaves them open to more injuries than adults. (BTW- elderly persons are also more prone to injury, more for loss of muscle and more brittle bones so this is also great if you have an aging parent for whom you care.)

The inflatable seatbelt works for all children in a regular booster seat- in other words, more or less, age 4 and up. I’m hoping this is a first step toward more protection for children of all ages.

Ford has had an incredible year this year, skipping the government handout taken by the other 2 big auto makers, aggressively pursuing greener and safer cars and even making a profit. Besides that, I found them friendly and willing to listen – seems like a model for American businesses across the board.

You can see more photos and more stories about this new innovation by following #fordsafety on Twitter or Googling "Ford inflammable seatbelts.