Ford to Introduce Air Bags to Aid in Side-Impact Crashes : Autos: Company is first of Big Three to offer such protection. It would be available in two years.

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday that it will offer a new side-impact air bag on all of its cars and light trucks in Europe and North America, betting that price-conscious buyers will pay even more for safety.

The announcement makes Ford the first of Detroit’s Big Three auto makers to publicly commit to the additional safety devices designed to protect against deadly head and chest injuries.

Neil Ressler, Ford vice president of Advanced Vehicle Technology, said at a press conference here that Ford plans to start adding the head-and-chest combination air bags in two years.

Ressler said the auto maker will introduce chest-only side air bags in some vehicles before that time, although he did not say when.

“Our primary long-term focus will be to lead in the introduction of more complex, advanced ‘combination’ air bags that provide additional protection for a driver and front-seat passenger’s head and chest in serious side impacts,” Ressler said in prepared remarks.

Although frontal collisions are more common, Ford said side-impact crashes often result in more serious injuries. Based on recent U.S. government data, Ford said, head injuries from side-impact crashes account for more than 15,000 fatal or serious injuries each year.

Side-impact air bags are not now mandated by federal safety agencies, although there are other requirements for structural and for padding for side-impact protection. In addition, all cars must have both passenger and driver frontal air bags by the 1996 model year.

Ford officials would not say how much the new air bags will add to the cost of a vehicle.

Auto Pacific Inc. analyst Christopher Cedergren estimates that side-impact air bags will cost between $350 and $400 each, although he said it is unlikely Ford will pass on that entire amount to consumers. Ford executives declined to say which vehicles will feature the new air bags first.

Helen Petrauskas, Ford vice president of Environmental and Safety Engineering, said market research indicates consumers want the safety that the bags would bring.