Autoliv Presents New Safety Product - New windshield pillar for better driver visibility and better crash protection

Autoliv Presents New Safety Product - New windshield pillar for better
driver visibility and better crash protection

(Stockholm, 14 June, 2011) - - - At the on-going international
conference Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV), Autoliv, Inc. - the global
leader in automotive safety systems - presented the test results of the
Company's latest innovation. It is an expandeble roof pillar for the
windshield that is three times thinner than a traditional windshield
pillar in order to enhance the driver's field of view and reduce weight.
In addition, the risk of roof intrusion is reduced.

The new windshield pillar is designed to be as slim as possible in order
not to obscure the view of the driver. This will increase the driver's
vision angle by 25% compared to a state-of-the-art windshield pillar. In
addition, the weight of the pillar is reduced by 10%.

However, in order not to compromise the life-saving energy absorbing
capabilities of the roof pillar, Autoliv's new roof pillar will expand
in a crash using airbag technology. To provide this possibility, the
cross section of the new windshield pillar consists of a folded and
air-tight structure. When the very powerful gasgenerator expands the new
pillar, the stiffness of the pillar increases by 45%, according to tests
with car bodies.

The integrity of the windshield pillars is critical in many crashes,
especially in roll-overs when there is risk of roof intrusion and in
so-called offset frontal crashes where only parts of the vehicle's
front-end is enganged in the impact. Very violent offset frontal crashes
could cause the windshield pillar to bend and the passenger compartment
to collapse.

An additional advantage with Autoliv's new pillar concept is to provide
increased design and styling freedom thanks to the slimmer pillars.

Inquiries:

Dr. Bengt Pipkorn, Project Leader Active Body Structures, Autoliv
Research. Tel +46-322-626341.