Of all the things a car company can offer, none of them are ever more important than the myriad of active and passive safety devices now found, almost always forced into use by government mandate, on late-model cars and trucks. From the older and more obvious, including shatterproof glass and energy-absorbing materials throughout a vehicle's interior, to some of the many new life-savers, such as airbags and anti-lock brakes, and even to those lighted hooks in trunks so anyone who might get stuck in a car's trunk --- and we're thinking more of an eight-year old kid than a Tony Soprano-type --- can pull on this device and unlock and open the trunk. These doo-dads are in every vehicle with a trunk sold in the US; check it out sometime if you hadn't noticed it already.
A few months ago, the LOS ANGELES TIMES ran a series of what would later be honored as award-winning articles on U-Haul trailers. That paper's reporters found the company's trailers to often be rented-out while in unsafe condition, in need of repair, and were almost predictably dangerous. Rent-a-trailers become most dangerous, and often deadly, when they begin to slowly sway behind the car or truck which is pulling it down the road, a motion so subtle when it begins that it is often overlooked; but if this motion is not recognized and stopped, and skillfully so, the situation almost always turns life-threatening. Often drivers are young, newer drivers going to college or otherwise on their own and traveling away from home for the first time, with all their worldly possessions packed into the trailer. Almost always these drivers, no matter their age, are completely unaware of the dangers of towing a trailer, and what to do, and when and how to do it, should a trailer begin that dangerous, yet often nearly-imperceptible, swaying motion. By the time this motion is "telegraphed" to the driver, there often is nothing he or she can do to avoid an impending wreck. Even before a host of trailering problems are felt by the driver, this team of LA Times' writers found, the die has been cast and an accident is almost always in the offing.
Throughout the over-100 year history of mass-produced cars and trucks, almost every vehicle manufacturer has been dragged, kicking and screaming, to the table where safety systems and devices are mandated by government. Because of that, Ford should be commended for taking this step, above and beyond, what has been ordered by government edict. Ford apparently has, on their own, devised and made-available an important, new safety system called Trailer Sway Control. The following is from Ford's PR people:
Ford will bolster the 2009 Explorer by including Trailer Sway Control. Trailer Sway Control joins an already
impressive list of standard safety features, including industry-exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control). (Photo - Ford's Explorer concept at NYC Auto Show).
“When we first introduced AdvanceTrac with RSC on the Explorer in 2004, we offered customers enhanced safety by including roll sensing,” said Steve Kozak, Ford’s chief safety engineer. “Now with Trailer Sway Control, we are helping our customers who tow trailers achieve an enhanced level of control of their load. Ford is committed to continuing to develop features and technologies that help make the driving experience easier and safer.”
Unlike electronic stability control systems that only use yaw rate sensing, Advance Trac® with RSC® utilizes a roll-rate sensor to determine the vehicle’s body roll-rate and roll angle, along with yaw rate sensing. If the unique roll-rate sensor detects a significant roll angle, the system applies additional countermeasures — such as applying brakes to one or more wheels or reducing engine power — to help the driver maintain control of the vehicle.
Trailer Sway Control works in conjunction with AdvanceTrac with RSC to determine from the yaw motion of the vehicle if the trailer is swaying and take measures – such as applying precise braking or reduced engine torque – to help bring both vehicle and trailer under control.
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