Select Ford Vehicles Now Supported in Vetronix's New Crash Data Retrieval
Software
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--March 11, 2003--Three years after Vetronix's groundbreaking introduction
of the Crash Data Retrieval system, vehicle coverage has expanded to
include select 2001 and later-model-year Ford vehicles.
Vetronix Corporation
develops and manufactures the Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) system used
by law enforcement, accident reconstructionists, the insurance industry,
vehicle manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) to download and display recorded crash data from vehicles involved
in a collision.
The first version
of the CDR system was developed in cooperation with General Motors and
contained software capabilities for General Motors vehicles only. This
latest software release, developed in cooperation with Ford Motor Company,
allows the CDR system to communicate with most of Ford's advanced Personal
Safety System equipped vehicles -- those of greatest interest to safety
researchers. Future releases are expected to expand coverage to additional
2001 and later-model-year Ford products. In the event of an accident,
data may be recorded on the vehicle's air bag module. The CDR system
collects that information, interprets relevant portions, and presents
it in easy-to-understand graphs and tables. By allowing real-world vehicle
crash data collection from their vehicles, GM and Ford continue to demonstrate
their support for automotive safety design research.
Previously, accident
investigators relied on eyewitness accounts, tire skid marks, and vehicle
damage to understand what occurred in a crash. However, eyewitness accounts
are not always available, skid marks are frequently absent with new
antilock brake systems, and vehicle damage can be misleading in multi-vehicle
collisions. Now, using new CDR technology from Vetronix, investigators
can download data from the vehicle to help determine what happened in
an accident. The CDR system has greatly improved the speed and accuracy
in reconstructing accidents. And now, with the addition of select Ford
vehicles, the value of the CDR system has increased significantly.
"Vetronix is
pleased to be working cooperatively with Ford to provide this valuable
information to CDR users," said Jim Zaleski, president of Vetronix
Corporation. "The CDR system is an incredibly simple way to access
the information stored in the vehicle's air bag module."
Mr. Zaleski added,
"The CDR system allows you to collect objective, accurate data
on crashes to enhance reconstruction analysis. This has opened the door
to a new generation of understanding automobile accidents." The
CDR system has also allowed vehicle safety researchers access to greatly-expanded
crash data.
Vetronix Corporation,
based in Santa Barbara, California, was established in 1984 and currently
serves the automotive OEM, fleet, and aftermarket sectors. More than
40 percent of all new vehicles worldwide are serviced at the dealership
level using Vetronix's diagnostic products. The company is focused on
innovations in advanced automotive diagnostics and next-generation telematics
solutions. Vetronix also offers integration of its telematics solutions
with its clients' enterprise business systems through a partnership
with IBM. Vetronix products are distributed in 45 countries, with software
and manuals translated into 27 languages.
Contact:
Vetronix Corporation
Jason Alexander, 800/321-4889
www.vetronix.com
Source: Vetronix
Corporation
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