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First Glove Box Knee Airbag in 2015 Mustang

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The 2015 Ford Mustang will feature a plethora of brand-new features right of the production line, and while a new airbag may not be as glamorous as the others, but it is bound to save lives and reduce injury.

The all-new Ford Mustang is the first vehicle equipped with a knee airbag that is integrated within the door of the glove box, instead of the instrument panel, so passengers get maximum room to stretch out. The technology consists of an innovative moulded plastic design which uses fewer components and saves weight for fuel efficiency enhancements.

Watch a video describing the design of the product here:

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Headlights Track People and Animals to Make Roads Safer

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AACHEN, Germany, July 17, 2015 – Driving at night, particularly on unlit roads, can be a nerve-wracking experience. Ford is developing new lighting technologies that will enable drivers to more easily identify potential hazards, including pedestrians, cyclists and animals.

Ford’s Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System can widen the beam at junctions and roundabouts to better illuminate hazards that are not in the direction of travel. New Spot Lighting technology helps draw the driver’s attention to pedestrians, cyclists and even large animals in the vehicle’s path or even just off the road.

“Many people who drive at night have had to quickly react to someone or something suddenly appearing in the road – as if from nowhere. Ford’s Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System and Spot Lighting help ensure the driver is quickly alerted to people or animals that could present a danger,” said Ken Washington, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering.

Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System builds upon Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System and Traffic Sign Recognition, which are already available in Ford vehicles, to provide drivers with improved visibility at roundabouts, stop, and give way or yield signs.

The system also uses GPS information to better illuminate bends and dips on a chosen route. Where GPS information is not available the technology uses a forward-facing video camera mounted in the rear-view mirror base to detect lane markings and predict the road’s curvature, using the information to illuminate the area more effectively.

In a further evolutionary step, in those instances, the camera stores the information in the navigation system. When next the driver uses the same road again, the headlights adapt to the course of the road automatically to better light the way.

Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System was developed at Ford’s European Research and Innovation Centre in Aachen, Germany, and Ford expects the technology to be available for customers in the near term.

Spot Lighting – currently in the pre-development phase with Ford engineers in Aachen – uses an infra-red camera in the front grille to simultaneously locate and track up to eight people and bigger animals, including larger dogs, at a range of up to 120 metres.

The system can spotlight two hazards for the driver with a spot and a stripe on the road surface, illuminated by two special LED lamps next to the fog lights. The highlighted objects are displayed on the screen inside the car, marked in a red or yellow frame, according to the proximity of the object and the level of danger presented.

“Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting can help make it easier for the driver to travel at night in unfamiliar surroundings, and to more easily see unexpected hazards. At roundabouts, for example, our system helps the driver to clearly see the exits – and check if cyclists and pedestrians are crossing the road,” said Michael Koherr, research engineer, Lighting Systems, Ford of Europe. “Spot Lighting makes potential hazards in the road ahead more easily visible to the driver – whether that is a pedestrian, a cyclist, or even a large animal.”

Road safety reports show that on unlit roads there is a significantly increased likelihood of accidents, and that such accidents could involve personal injuries, or fatalities.* Ford is a leading innovator in lighting technology. Systems currently available on Ford vehicles include:

  • Dynamic LED Headlights which combines full-LED headlamps offering daylight-mimicking light clarity with Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System. The system adjusts the headlight beam angle and intensity to match the driving environment. It can choose one of seven settings according to vehicle speed, ambient light conditions, steering angle, distance to the vehicle in front and windscreen wiper activation
  • Glare-Free Highbeam technology for the adaptive LED headlamps. The system detects vehicles ahead and fades out light that could dazzle oncoming drivers, while retaining maximum illumination for other areas
  • Auto High Beam Control detects oncoming vehicles and automatically switches to dipped beam, before switching back to high beam once it detects the vehicle has passed

Source: Ford.com

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What to do in the event of an auto accident:

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auto-515749_1280In 2014 more than 120,000 traffic accidents were reported in Virginia, and 6,000 of those crashes were in Norfolk alone. Whenever you sit behind the wheel of a car, you take the risk of getting into an accident. Check out this information to familiarize yourself with what to do in case you are in a car accident, and then print this post and place it in your car’s glove box. That way, you’ll have it at your fingertips in the unfortunate event that you need it.

Call the Police

If you feel you are in an emergency situation where anyone’s life, health or safety is at stake, dial 911 immediately. If you don’t feel the situation is an emergency, contact police using the non-emergency phone number for the city in which the accident occurred (Norfolk is: 757-441-5610).

Without police, there will be no official record of the accident. This official record is crucial to ensuring you receive proper compensation from your insurance company. After calling, do not move your car until police arrive at the scene.

Get Medical Attention

If the situation is an emergency, and you or somebody else involved in the accident needs medical attention call 911 and make sure that they are attended to.

If you feel any discomfort at all, seek and accept medical treatment, even if it seems very minor at the time. Adrenaline will mask pain in the moments following the accident, so make sure to check for even dull aches or persistent throbbing.

Take Notes and Get Witness Information

If you don’t have a pen and paper, use the recording feature on your phone, or call a friend to write down all the information for you. You don’t have to wait for police to arrive to speak to witnesses and get testimonials about the accident.

Be sure to record:

  • What is the location and time of the accident?
  • What area of your car was damaged?
  • What type of vehicle hit you? Document the make, model, color, bumper stickers, license plate number, and any other identifying traits of the car.

Take Pictures

Witness accounts of the accident are fantastic, but a picture speaks a thousand words. If you have access to a camera, make sure to take many photos of the damage to your car, the other parties’ cars, any injuries you may have, and the location of the accident. Do not move your car until the police have completed their report and you have taken as many photos as possible.

Contact your Insurance Company

Exchange insurance information at the scene of the accident with all parties involved. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible after the accident. Your insurance company will help you file a claim, either with another party in the accident or on your own policy.

Call Your Attorney

Whenever you or a loved one have been injured, it is important to have the help you need in the legal battles ahead.

Plan to Buy a New Car

After your accident you will need to find a new form of transportation even in the interim of repairs. Whether you need drastic repairs or services, are looking for a new Ford F-150 or other best-in-class safety vehicle, Beach Ford is the place to go.

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FORD EXPANDS RECALL FOR TAKATA AIRBAG INFLATORS

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Ford is expanding its safety recalls on vehicles that have certain Takata airbag inflators after Takata declared that those inflators are defective, bringing the total number of Ford vehicles recalled for Takata airbag inflators to 1,509,535 vehicles to date.

This expanded recall follows Takata’s notification to the U.S. NHTSA last week that certain of its airbag inflators are defective, affecting several automakers across the industry. For Ford, affected vehicles include:

  • 2005-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant for driver side airbag inflators;
  • 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles built at Wixom Assembly Plant for driver side airbag inflators;
  • 2004 Ford Rangers built in North America at Edison Assembly Plant and
  • 2004-2006 Ford Rangers built at Twin Cities Assembly for passenger side airbag inflators.

As disclosed in November 2014, Ford is aware of one airbag deployment that might be related to the issue, in which a driver’s leg was injured by a metal fragment when the airbag deployed after a crash. Ford has not seen any other inflator ruptures on Ford vehicles in the field or in testing to date.

A total of 1,490,764 vehicles in North America are now affected by this expanded recall, including 1,380,604 in the United States and federalized territories, 93,207 in Canada and 16,953 in Mexico.

Dealers will replace the airbag inflator at no cost to the customer.

Customers who want to know if their vehicle is included in these recalls can visit www.ford.com  and click on safety recalls at the bottom of the page. Customers can then enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see any open safety, compliance or emissions recalls, as well as customer satisfaction programs.

Source; Ford.com

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Dogs Ride Inside This Summer!

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dogs ride insideWe know there are few things dogs love more than holding their faces in the wind and letting their ears dance in the breeze while you drive. You’re their favorite person in the world. You’re their hero.

Just remember to also be their protector.

Ford and the American Humane Association remind pickup truck drivers that dogs should never ride in the bed of a pickup truck.

In a campaign called “Dogs Ride Inside,” Ford and AHA stress that simple, basic actions can prevent serious injury or death while transporting a beloved family pet.

“It is estimated that 100,000 dogs die each year riding in truck beds” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association, the country’s first national humane organization. “Unfortunately, we have all seen dogs riding in the bed of a pickup truck, which is an extremely dangerous way to transport your pet.”

“As America’s truck leader, this is an issue that’s close to the heart for us,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group Marketing Manager. “We’re not asking that people go to onerous lengths while driving with pets, but even the smallest steps can make a difference in keeping all passengers in our vehicles safe.”

The American Humane Association and Ford recommend:

–All animals should ride inside a pickup truck cab – never in the bed of a truck.

–At the very minimum, your pet should always ride in the back seat if your truck has one. An animal in the front seat can quickly become a driver distraction and cause an accident, jeopardizing the pet and everyone else in the vehicle.

–Just in case you and your pet become separated, be sure that all ID tags are properly affixed to your pet’s collar.

–Never leave pets unattended inside of vehicles. Remember that cars heat up fast – even with the windows cracked.

At Beach Ford, we want to keep the whole family happy and safe.

Here’s to a fun summer!