"The addition of this feature confirms Saturn's continued position as a safety leader among automobile manufacturers," said Jim Ulrich, vice president of engineering for Saturn Corporation. "While this technology was developed by our engineers for Saturn vehicles, it will eventually be shared among other General Motors brands."

Saturn's head curtain air bags are currently available on certain vehicles in retailer showrooms, and can be ordered as an option as well. The cost for the head curtain air bag option is $325 on the small S-Series cars and $395 for mid-size L-Series vehicles.

The head curtain air bag system is stored along the vehicle's body side upper roof rail behind the headliner and garnish trim. The air bag deploys based on feedback from electronic sensors located along the sides of the vehicle. The air bag drops from the roof rail and unfolds as it inflates, providing a cushion to help protect the head and neck regions.

Side impacts are second only to frontal impacts as a source of injuries and fatalities to passenger car occupants. Side impact crashes account for approximately 30 percent of crashes in small and mid-size cars. About half of the harm from serious injury in side impact crashes is associated with head and neck injuries. Side impact head curtain air bags are intended to help cushion the head and neck in many of these types of crashes and are expected to significantly reduce these injuries. Of course, no restraint system is capable of preventing injury in every circumstance and air bags are most effective when used with safety belts. 

Head curtain air bags also are engineered to minimize the risk of harm to out-of-position adults and children. Extensive testing and development were conducted to evaluate out-of-position performance. As always, Saturn strongly recommends that children, including those in child seats, ride properly restrained in the rear seats.

To study the benefit of this technology in a laboratory test environment, Saturn vehicles were subjected to a variety of tests, including an 18-mph side impact test where a pole is aimed at the test dummy's head. Based on data from the side pole impact test, the addition of the head curtain air bag creates the potential to significantly reduce head injury.

All 2001 Saturn vehicles will continue to meet the government's strict side impact standards even without the head curtain air bags deployed. Saturn continues to use steel door beams in each door, cross-car underbody beams, a reinforced side pillar structure, and energy absorbing door trim and foam padding to help provide protection for the occupant's chest, spine and pelvis.

SOURCE: Saturn Corporation

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