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GM To Build Rollover Crash Test Facility


June 2005
 Filed under: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATE Car News | GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATE Headlines

$33 Million Earmarked for Crashworthiness Upgrades at GM's Milford Proving Ground

WASHINGTON, D.C. - General Motors announced Thursday it will build a new rollover testing facility at its Milford Proving Ground in Michigan, the centerpiece of $33 million worth of state-of-the-art crash-testing investments to grow GM's global testing capability.
The rollover facility, which will be adjacent to an existing crash barrier test facility, will be used to develop rollover-sensing systems for airbags and development of occupant protection systems to reduce the likelihood of ejection in a crash.

More than 10,000 people are killed and more than 200,000 are injured in rollover crashes every year, accounting for about one in four highway deaths, according to federal highway fatality statistics.

"Rollover crashes are a major reason why GM has committed to make electronic stability control standard by the end of the decade," said Bob Lange, GM Executive Director of Vehicle Structure and Safety Integration. "This rollover facility is an example of our commitment to comprehensive safety - before, during and after a crash."

The $10 million rollover facility follows an announced commitment in January to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to make StabiliTrak standard on all non-commercial GM vehicles by the end of the decade. The proven crashworthiness technology is now standard on most full-size GM SUVs and will be standard on midsize SUVs this fall.

Stability control helps a driver maintain vehicle control during challenging or unexpected driving conditions, such as ice, snow, wet pavement and emergency lane changes or avoidance maneuvers.

Based on ESC systems now in use, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a 67 percent risk reduction in single-vehicle crashes for SUVs. In a separate study, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said as many as 800,000 of the 2 million single-vehicle crashes that occur each year could be avoided if stability control was standard on all vehicles sold in the United States.

GM currently conducts rollover tests offsite at a Detroit-area automotive supplier. The new facility, which will open in late 2006, initially will conduct 120 to 150 tests a year with the capacity for more. Initially, five rollover scenarios will be conducted. Others will be added if needed.

Being able to conduct rollover tests in house will lead to faster development of rollover-sensing technology, increase efficiency, and save money, said Albert Ware, director of the Vehicle Safety and Crash Worthiness Lab at the Milford Proving Ground.

In addition to the rollover facility, GM announced Thursday:

* $3 million to upgrade existing adult crash test dummies and to add additional 6-month-old to 10-year-old passenger dummies.

* $8 million for data recording equipment used in crash tests that stores data on the vehicle instead of remotely. This will allow for less cumbersome testing and for more data channels to be installed on the vehicle.

* $6 million for a computer controlled and hydraulically powered acceleration sled that reproduces crash forces like those in barrier impact testing. The new sled is 2.5 times more powerful than the two existing sleds.

* $6 million for digital high-speed cameras rugged enough to withstand crash forces and immediately provide detailed images of the test.

"GM's commitment to comprehensive safety, in this case during a crash, will be enhanced by these investments," Lange said. "But nothing can do more to prevent and minimize injuries in a crash than wearing safety belts every time on every trip."

About GM

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 321,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

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