2014 Ford Fusion Adds Rear Inflatable Safety Belt
Ford has expanded the availability of its rear inflatable safety belt feature, adding it onto the 2014 Fusion and making it the only vehicle in its class to offer the technology.
The system combines the attributes of safety belts and airbags, provides additional protection for rear-seat passengers. The American automaker originally introduced the industry’s first inflatable safety belts in the 2011 Explorer and currently it’s available on the Fusion, Flex, Taurus, Lincoln MKT, and MKZ.
During a crash, sensors will determine whether the inflatable belt should deploy, signalling the belt’s tubular airbag to rapidly inflate with compressed gas. In everyday use, the inflatable belts perform just like conventional seat belts and are compatible with child car seats and boosters. The option is also available on the Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi variants.
“The inflatable belt is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear-seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries,” said Srinivasan Sundararajan, safety technical leader with Ford’s research and advanced engineering group. “This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership.”
GALLERY: Ford Rear Inflatable Safety Belt
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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