Ford vehicles consistently rate as some of the safest vehicles on the road. But the Taurus and Mercury Sable models received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s most prestigious award, the “Top Safety Pick” for family cars. They’ve also earned a five-star rating (the industry’s highest) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But what makes these models stand out as the paragons of safety?

The Restraints Control Module, or RCM, deserves most of the credit for the superior safety ratings. Because a car crash can happen in mere milliseconds, it’s important for the car’s safety features to engage in the blink of an eye. The RCM does just that. This safety component analyzes data from electronic sensors from the entire car faster than you can yell, “Look out!” Here are just some of the decisions that the RCM makes in that one split-second:

1. Should the safety belts tighten around the car’s occupants to prevent lurching forward and possible injury?

2. Should the air bags inflate? The safety system uses a sensor to determine if the passenger seat is occupied, so the air bag won’t inflate if the seat is unoccupied. It also determines the size of the passenger to create the ideal amount of inflation.

3. Is a rollover inevitable?

4. Should the side and curtain air bags inflate? This “Safety Canopy” feature does two important things: It creates a protective air bag shield between the passenger and the side window and it also keeps the air bags inflated for several seconds in case of a rollover.

These two models also have ten “crush zones” in various parts of the body to lessen the impact of heavy objects that might hit the car during a crash. This protects the passengers and driver inside.

With this and other safety features abundant in these vehicles, it’s no wonder why the automaker continues to be a leader by example for other companies. Visit our Sunset Ford St. Louis, MO dealership or our Sunset Ford Waterloo, IL dealership today to get a great deal on a safe vehicle.

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