Ever heard of a roof tile that eats smog? How about a lightbulb that can burn for 25,000 hours? Or, maybe you've heard of solar panels constructed of 70-percent less silicone than traditional panels? Well, maybe not. But, recently, Ford was recognized among these and many other inventions that were created to "make the world smarter, safer and more efficient in the years to come...setting benchmarks in design and engineering."¹

Given by Popular Mechanics, the 2011 Breakthrough Product Awards recognized the latest in safety technology from Ford: the inflatable seatbelt. The last time we saw innovation like this in seatbelt technology was with the invention of the 3-point model we're all familiar with today - but that was more than 50 years ago! However, when Ford launched the 2011 Ford Explorer, they made the option for rear seatbelt airbags available to drivers.

So, how exactly does this work? Well, designed with some of the most vulnerable passengers in mind (the eldery and the very young), when triggered, an airbag breaks through the unique fabric of the belt and inflates. It's designed to provide more than five-times the support for the head, chest and neck than a regular seatbelt. Another advantage of this seatbelt? Early testers report that it's more comfortable than a traditional seatbelt, making it more likely that passengers will actually put them on.

When accepting the award on behalf of his team, Srini Sundararajan, Safety Technical Leader, Ford Research and Innovation, acknowledged that it takes a lot of work to create an award-winning safety feature. He said, "Ford's goal is to develop safety technologies that give our customers peace of mind...I thank Popular Mechanics for recognizing the contributions of a number of dedicated engineers at Ford."²

While the seatbelt debuted first on the Ford Explorer, Ford has confirmed plans to release the safety feature across its entire new Ford lineup, sometime in the near future. In the meantime, check back with the Danny Zeck Ford blog for more important news and updates from the automaker. And of course, you can always stop by and see us at 4501 S 4^th St Leavenworth, KS 66048 to see all of Ford's impressive innovations for yourself.

Source: ^1,2http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=35419