Holden has long been recognised as the leader in safety design among Australian automotive manufacturers, and it is now gaining a reputation further afield for the advanced application of computer-based safety technology. The restraint system in Holden's Commodore VS has already been acknowledged as the international benchmark in 'user friendly' airbag design. Building on that experience, the safety system engineered into the entirely new VT Commodore delivers further world-leading advances in occupant protection.

Holden safety engineer Richard Marshall shows the effect of a high-speed barrier crash on a section of VT Commodore's front structure, which is designed to crush in a controlled manner.

Holden's Richard Marshall, senior project engineer - advanced engineering, says the design brief for the VT Commodore was based on Holden's philosophy that vehicle safety is first and foremost for the benefit of its customers and not simply to comply with government regulation.

"The legislation involves crashing a vehicle with mid-sized male test dummies into a 100 tonne concrete block at 48 kilometres per hour. We've investigated hundreds of accidents over the past five years and haven't had one Commodore driver do that, mid-sized male or not," he said.

"Out in the real world, you have all kinds of collisions happening, at a range of different speeds, between various kinds of objects, and at all kinds of angles.

"You have drivers and passengers of both sexes, of every age and size, some of whom are more fragile than others, and all of whom require the same high level of injury protection. We used leading edge computer power to help us design a safety system that takes all of those factors into account," Richard Marshall continued.

"As a result, the VT Commodore features a new concept in 'controlled crush' from structure design and a computer optimised restraint system that was developed through a trailblazing program which evaluated 100,000 possible combinations of seat belt types, seat designs, airbag performance characteristics, occupant size and crash types. Together with other improvements, they give absolutely world class protection in real world collision situations."

The advantages of Commodore VT' s totally new, computer developed body structure translate into improved all-round crash performance. The front structure features frames that are highly efficient at absorbing crash energy, reducing the crash load transferred back to the occupant.

A new side structure design, with its improved energy management for car, track and pole collisions, significantly reduces the major risk of head and neck injury in side impacts.

Driver airbags are standard equipment across the Commodore VT model range, as are rear centre lap/sash seat belts in wagons and sedans. Front seats have pyrotechnic buckle pre-tensioners, which are triggered by the airbag sensor in collisions of moderate severity.

In more severe frontal accidents, airbags will also be activated. After the sensor has been triggered and the car has come to a halt, the engine and fuel pump will automatically turn off, doors will unlock and the interior light switch on.

Commodore rear seat backs are strengthened for protection against luggage impact and all seat structures have anti-submarining ramps to prevent occupants - children in particular - sliding under the lap portion of the seatbelt in a collision.

"While these advances have to do with accident survival, our major focus remains on accident avoidance," Richard Marshall said.

"This Commodore - with its improved handling, high performance new braking system and additional features like traction control - gives drivers the means to manage the car better in a critical situation. Its emergency handling response capabilities are better than ever.

"Primary safety - giving drivers the ability to avoid collisions in the first place remains our number one priority," Richard Marshall concluded.

For a great range of car parts at great prices,
shop online with us here in the FastLane