Raise the Hammer

My name is Stew Low and I work for General Motors of Canada. We became involved with MADD a little over two years ago because we were asked to help. At the time we were in transition with our philanthropic focus and MADD to their credit asked at the right time, offered the right program for GM to support. And so we became a sponsor of the highschool outreach program. It took us about a milisecond to decide and about the same time to realize we were very privledged to partner with an organization that is making a real difference in attitudes towards driving and being impaired. I have personally attented the multi-media presentations as have my children. All of us got the message loud and clear.

Thank you to MADD for all the fine work you are doing and will do in the future. We are behind your work 100%.

My comment to Ted Mitchell and his ramblings, is all manufacturers use body on frame construction for trucks in applications where it is warranted. Even Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan and more. The technology is far from archaic as Mitchell suggests, actually it is rather sophisticated. The important point to note is the structure in behind the facia and the work done to make vehicles more "compatible' in a crash situation. We have done our homework and design the frame to collapse and absorb energy and be low enough during a crash as to be compatible with smaller vehicles thus protecting occupants.

There are actually three parts to the science of auto safety, those technologies that protect occupants before, during and after a crash. Before are things like anti lock brakes, stability control, driver behaviour and the like. During crashes air bags, crush zones, seat belts and body structure help protect occupants and after the crash technologies like OnStar that offer automatic airbag deployment notification and emergency response are there to assist.

An enormous amount of engineering go into everyvehicle design to make them as safe as possible.

Stew Low P. Eng.