Recently, I have been very focused on the car industry lately as I have been shopping for a new car. One of the primary items that made me want to consider a new (or newer) car as opposed to and older model is the advancement of safety features that many manufacturers have made. While many car brands have worked hard at creating and testing a variety of safety technologies, Ford might be one of the leaders of the pack. With initiatives going as far back as 1957 around air bags, Ford has definitely been doing it for a long time.
A few weeks ago, Ford made several announcements regarding airbag technology and safety that is going into the 2012 Ford Focus. During that launch, I was lucky enough to be able to spend about 30 minutes on the phone with Ford Safety Manager, Matt Niesluchowski, who has been with Ford for over 23 years, 22 of that, working on safety related products. Matt is responsible for “all things safety related” to put things very broadly and has recently moved to Europe to work in Germany at Ford.
My desire of having this interview with Matt was to better understand some of the innovations and technology used in making vehicles safer on the road. In my interview with Matt, I asked many of the questions below:
- Can you tell me about the recent announcement around Airbag Technologies, especially how it affects future Ford vehicles?
- It seems that Ford has over 50 years of innovation in airbag safety. Why is there such a drive (no pun intended) to be a leader in this space?
- Many people take airbags for granted in new cars, why is it important to shop around for an airbag solution?
- Do you believe that all car manufacturers should follow your lead or are they innovating on their own?
- Can you go into some details on what the new 2012 Ford Focus will have that makes it better than competitors in the space?
- Being a dad of 3 children, their safety is critical. I’m currently looking to buy a new car, and honestly, I just assumed that all cars regardless of Make have the latest technology. What should I be looking for in a new car?
The interview below is about 20 minutes long. There are some videos and other graphics as well.
Hopefully you found this video informative into what Ford has been doing in making their vehicles among the safest on the road. I’m personally excited to take a test drive of the 2012 Ford Focus. From the pictures alone, I’m intrigued by the styling – the thing looks like it is moving while standing still.
If you want more information about the Ford Focus, be sure to visit the 2012 site. For insight into other models, just head over to: http://www.fordvehicles.com. There is also an interesting, more community oriented site called The Ford Story that you might want to explore as well. It has an entire section devoted to Safety.
HTD says: Safety is paramount in any type of vehicle. Do your due diligence and find one that is a leader in the space!
