TRW Highlights Advanced Rear Seat Airbag Safety Technologies At Airbag 2014

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Dec 03, 2014, 10:24 ET

KARLSRUHE, Germany, Dec. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Airbag 2014 -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW) is outlining at Airbag 2014 how a combination of advanced restraint systems can help to address the protection of rear seat occupants during frontal impacts.

TRW is today outlining at Airbag 2014 how a combination of advanced restraint systems can help to address the protection of rear seat occupants during frontal impacts. Airbags that address features distinctive to the rear seat environment, when implemented with advanced seat belt systems, can help to reduce injury to rear seat occupants.

Dirk Schultz, director of Inflatable Restraints for TRW Occupant Safety Systems, said: "We conducted an analysis of the German In-Depth Accident Study database for information on injury patterns of rear-seated occupants from 1999 to 2013. Findings indicated that half of all injuries to rear seat occupants are caused by head impact to the front seat, or high seat belt loading to the thorax.

"During frontal impacts, the protection of rear seat occupants differs from those of occupants in front seats. Protecting rear seat occupants can be a challenge, considering the larger range of occupant ages and sizes – from child to adult – and vehicle interior space that varies depending on the position of the front seat.

"Advanced restraint systems such as seat belts, pretensioners and load limiters can help to reduce the injury potential on the rear sear occupant."

Airbags that address features distinctive to the rear seat environment, when implemented with advanced seat belt systems, can help to reduce injury to rear seat occupants. TRW is highlighting a number of advanced rear seat technologies in its exhibit, including:

Roof-mounted rear airbag concept
Features unique to the rear seat compartment include a wider range of occupant ages, sizes and positions of front seats. After numerous occupant simulations, as well as static and dynamic testing using 5^th, 50^th and 95^th percentile dummies, TRW has adapted its front seat 'bag-in-roof' concept to the rear seat environment. A roof-mounted rear airbag concept – when used in combination with a seat belt equipped with a retractor pretensioner and single constant load limiter – helps to reduce the likelihood of rear seat occupant head contact with the front seat, even in small vehicle compartments and when the front seat is positioned further back into the rear seat space.

Front-seat mounted rear airbag concept
An advanced rear airbag design placed on the rear-facing side of front seats is positioned to help protect rear seat occupants. Front seats that adjust in a longitudinal direction can lead to varying distances between the back of the seat and rear occupants. However, the unique shape of TRW's advanced rear airbag concept adjusts to the different distances between the rear seat occupant and the front seat. The rear seat airbag concept provides coverage when the front seat is in a very forward position, and helps to avoid high loading of the occupant when the front seat is positioned further back into the rear seat space. (see accompanying image).

TRW anticipates that both its roof mounted rear airbag and front seat mounted rear airbag will be ready for production in late 2017.

About TRW

With 2013 sales of $17.4 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 24 countries and employs approximately 65,000 people worldwide. TRW Automotive products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services. All references to "TRW Automotive", "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. TRW Automotive news is available on the internet at www.trw.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains statements that are not statements of historical fact, but instead are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, including those set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 (our "Form 10-K") and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 28, 2014, June 27, 2014 and September 26, 2014, such as: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the ZF merger agreement which could have a material adverse effect on us and our stock price; the inability to consummate the proposed ZF merger or the inability to consummate the ZF merger in the time frame or manner currently anticipated which could have a material adverse effect on us and our stock price; risks related to disruption of management's attention from our ongoing business operations due to the ZF merger; the effect of the announcement of the proposed ZF merger on our relationships with our customers, suppliers, joint venture partners and others, as well as our operating results and business generally; risks relating to the engine valve divestiture could adversely affect us; economic conditions adversely affecting our business, results or the viability of our supply base; risks associated with non-U.S. operations, including economic and political uncertainty in some regions, adversely affecting our business, results or financial condition; the unsuccessful implementation of our current expansion efforts adversely impacting our business or results; any developments related to antitrust investigations adversely affecting our financial condition, results, cash flows or reputation; pricing pressures from our customers adversely affecting our profitability; global competition adversely affecting our sales, profitability or financial condition; any disruption in our information technology systems adversely impacting our business and operations; any shortage of supplies causing a production disruption for any customers or us; the loss of any of our largest customers or a significant amount of their business, or a significant decline in their production levels, adversely affecting us; strengthening of the U.S. dollar and other foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacting our results; our contingent liabilities and tax matters causing us to incur losses or costs; any inability to protect our intellectual property rights adversely affecting our business or our competitive position; commodity inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability or supply base; costs or adverse effects on our business, reputation or results from governmental regulations; work stoppages or other labor issues at our facilities or those of our customers or others in our supply chain adversely affecting our business, results or financial condition; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in our Form 10-K and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by such cautionary statements. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any update or revision to any of the forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.