Spartan Chassis Unveils Advanced Protection System

Aug. 2, 2012
Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR), introduced its Advanced Protection System (APS) at Fire Rescue International in Denver, Colorado

Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR), introduced its Advanced Protection System (APS) at Fire Rescue International in Denver, Colorado.

The APS is a safety system that contains a number of industry first breakthroughs and significant improvements to existing safety standards. Some of these breakthroughs include:

1. Up to eight airbags in the cab with four industry-first airbag positions.

2. Outboard sensors that control airbag deployments from multi-angle impacts. This protects firefighters from front and side-impact collisions, and rollovers, features the competition cannot offer.

3. Side curtain airbags up to 700% larger than the competition to reduce risk of occupant ejection.

4. An intelligent seatbelt system that controls the strain of the seat belt on each occupant.

Spartan is the only company in the industry whose airbags protect cab occupants from side impacts, unlike competitors, whose side airbags only deploy in the case of a rollover. This is achieved by Spartan's new state-of-the-art outboard sensors that can detect impact and rollover events while reducing the risk of occupant ejection. Each sensor communicates back to the restraint control module that monitors which airbag(s) should deploy and under what conditions.

The new driver knee airbags lock the lower body in place so upper body movement can be slowed by the seat belts and cushioned by the steering wheel airbag. This reduced the likelihood that the driver will sustain contact injuries caused by the instrument panel, steering column, or other points of contact.

The final new element in the Advanced Protection System is the new, industry-first, intelligent seat belt system which keeps the occupant into the seat in the event of an impact, or rollover. These intelligent seat belts have pyrotechnic pretensioners in the retractors instead of just a buckle. After the occupant is pulled back into the seat, load limiters release some of the webbing to control the occupant's deceleration into the airbag system. These new seatbelts help control the strain on each occupant while reducing pressure on the chest and torso, reducing seatbelt related injuries.