DEARBORN, MI – The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the second generation of Ford’s Fusion sedan a Top Safety Pick. The 2013-MY Ford Fusion achieved a Good rating in IIHS’ offset frontal impact, side impact, dynamic head restraint, and roof strength testing procedures.

In its announcement, Ford highlighted the new Personal Safety System the sedan features. The Personal Safety System consists of systems that coordinate deployment of the vehicle’s front airbags during a collision. The restraint control module translates information from the front crash sensors, front outboard safety belt buckle switches, driver-seat track position, and passenger seat weight sensor into specific actions, activating the safety belt pretensioners and determining how the dual-stage airbags will deploy, for example.

The new Personal Safety System also features changes to the sedan’s airbag system. Ford stated it redesigned the seat-mounted side airbags with new venting technology that takes into account the size of the seat’s occupant. They also deploy lower in the pelvis area, in addition to the chest. The driver’s side front airbag uses a reconfigured curve-shaped tether system that pulls in the lower section of the airbag to lessen the airbag’s impact on the driver’s chest and ribs in frontal crashes. That airbag deploys at the same time as the driver’s knee airbag.

Other available safety features in the 2013 Ford Fusion include the sensor-based Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Keeping Aid, a driver monitoring system, adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera, front/rear park aids, Hill Start Assist, and an electronic parking brake. Ford also offers an active park assist system that helps drivers parallel park.