A Step Toward Safety

Detroit traditionally has stressed style and speed in automobiles ahead of safe ty. But considering the carnage on the highways (49,000 traffic deaths last year), and under continued pressure from the Government, the industry has been moving gradually to make cars safer. Last week the automen took an other step. General Motors announced that it is adding two new safety features as standard equipment on all its ]967 models, which will appear this fall.

The two: a collapsible steering column that will help protect drivers from be ing impaled in a collision, and inde pendent front and rear brakes, each capable of stopping the car if the other fails. American Motors, which already provides dual brakes as a standard item, plans to buy the collapsible columns from G.M. and install them in all its 1967 cars. Ford and Chrysler will carry their own versions of the column in their 1967 models.

Ordinarily, a steering column is rigidly clamped at two points by collar-shaped steel brackets. In the G.M. design, the brackets are lined with plastic, which gives way on impact. Thus freed, the steering column collapses: one section of the column, made of steel mesh, crumples, while the gearshift tube and steering rod are telescoped, thereby shortening the column's length a total of 81 in. Presumably the auto companies will pass the added cost of the new safety features-about $15 for the column and $5 for the brakes-directly on to the customers.

Meanwhile the car business looked not merely safe, it looked stupendous. Chrysler last week reported record 1965 sales of $5.3 billion, up $1 billion from 1964, and profits of $233.4 million. Earlier G.M. also reported new records for 1965: sales of $20.7 billion and profits of $2.1 billion, the first time any corporation's profits have ever passed the $2 billion mark. Then came Ford, again with new records in sales ($11.5 billion) and profits ($703 million). How about this year? Even better, thinks Lee A. lacocca, vice president of Ford's car and truck division. He predicts that 1966 industry sales, including imports, will total 9,500,000 cars, up 200,000 from 1965's record year.

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