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REAL-WORLD NEEDS DRIVE SAAB SAFETY ENGINEERS

Saabs Are Designed to Help Drivers Prevent Collisions, as Well as Survive
Them

NORCROSS, Ga. --In the 50 years that Saab has been building automobiles,
safety has been a top priority in every car's design, engineering, research
and development. Today's Saabs benefit from decades of intensive efforts to
construct a car that not only offers exceptional protection to occupants in
the event of a collision, but provides superior handling, braking and
acceleration characteristics that help a driver avoid accidents. These
active and passive safety attributes work together to ensure that every Saab
900 and 9000 model offers exceptional protection for its occupants.

Saab's long heritage of safety engineering includes many significant
innovations, including side-impact reinforcement, split-diagonal braking
systems and self-restoring bumpers that can withstand certain low-speed
impacts without damage. Saab was one of the first automakers in the world to
make an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) standard on its entire car line, and
was one of the first to install three-point safety belts in production cars.
Headlight wipers/washers were pioneered by Saab in 1971, while daytime
running lights have been available on Saabs in Sweden since 1968. Proven to
reduce daytime car-to-car crashes, DRLs were made standard on all Saab
models in the U.S. for the 1995 model year, although not required by federal
regulations.

All 1997 Saab 900 and 9000 models meet, and many times exceed, all of the
safety demands legislated by law. In fact, many of today's federally
mandated features were already initiated by Saab long before a ruling was
ever put to paper. Saabs, however, must live up to even tougher standards --
those set by Saab safety engineers who view legislation as a starting point
in the ongoing drive toward building the safest possible automobiles.

Real Life Safety Research Comes From the Road

Because real accidents don't happen in crash-test laboratories, it's
necessary that research be supplemented by detailed knowledge of how the car
behaves in real accidents on actual highways. Since 1971, Saab has been
investigating Swedish road accidents in which Saab cars were involved. The
database currently has information on almost 5,000 serious road accidents.
In addition to providing statistical information, the investigation also
enables Saab to study accidents from a medical viewpoint.

Dr. Hugo Ugander, a former surgeon with 17 years experience, is just one of
the members of the Swedish automaker's safety engineering team. Saab's
medical expert and his team regularly travel to the actual scene of an
accident involving a Saab car to gather information. When permission is
given, they also interview occupants, examine medical records and transport
the damaged cars to the Saab Technical Center for detailed study.

"Saab's comprehensive approach to safety research allows us to find factors
that improve the crashworthiness of our cars even further," Ugander said.
The results of the investigations are analyzed by Saab engineers and
designers, who use the information directly in their daily work.

The responsibility for the accident is of no interest to Saab, and all
information obtained is held in strict confidence. The only pertinent
factors are how the accident occurred, the role played by technology and the
human being, and above all, how the various systems and subsystems of the
Saab behaved during the collision, and how they contributed to the
occupants' survival.

Structural Integrity Is the Foundation of Saab Safety Philosohy

In the dramatic split-second time frame of a collision, dozens of individual
systems and subsystems must work in partnership toward one paramount goal:
to protect a Saab's occupants. Although only 10 types of crash tests are
required by law, Saab subjects vehicles to 21 different types of laboratory
collisions, including offset, angled, roll-over and even a simulated impact
with a moose. In addition, countless tests are performed via
state-of-the-art computer simulations.

Rather than optimize the body structure of a Saab to perfomm best in one
type of legislated test, such as a full frontal crash into a flat barrier,
the Saab is designed, engineered and tested to perform well in many kinds of
unpredictable collisions. As evidenced by Saab's own real-world accident
investigations, every road accident is entirely unique, and none has ever,
in Saab's experience, been exactly duplicated by a crash-test lab.

Survival space for the driver and passengers is a key criterion in the
design of every new Saab. Sturdy steel reinforcements surround the passenger
compartment, diverting collision forces away from the occupants, regardless
of whether the impact comes from the front, rear or side. Saab bodies are
designed so that they deform in a controlled, consistent way, ensuring that
crash energy is well distributed instead of being concentrated at one point.

Front and rear crumple zones take the brunt of a crash. Sections of the body
defomm progressively, which means that they are designed to absorb energy as
they give way gradually, without individual panels being tom away or
intruding into the interior. The strongest, stiffest components comprise the
passenger compartment "safety cage."

The sides of the car cannot be protected with crumple zones, so the body
structure is designed to disperse force over as large an area as possible.
The crash stresses are absorbed by the side of the car and distributed by
the door reinforcing beams and reinforcements in the sill and B-pillar to
the safety cage of the body. The

cross-members in the floor and under the rear seat are designed to prevent
the body from being compressed sideways. On the Saab 900, the unique
rear"Safeseat" also includes a cross-member at the top of the rear seat
backrest that contributes towards keeping the safety cage intact.

Moose Test is Unique in Industry

Because moose and deer are common throughout Scandinavia, where Saabs are
designed and built, one particular type of accident unfortunately occurs all
too often. Each year, thousands of car/animal collisions are recorded.
Therefore, Saab conducts crash tests into an 860-pound "artificial moose,"
made of heavy electrical cables. The high-speed test simulates the most
dangerous type of animal impact: an adult moose or elk striking the
windshield and forward roof pillars. This industry-unique test ensures that
the Saab safety cage structure resists intrusion of the obstacle into the
passenger space. While it's not legislated, the Saab "moose test" is another
example of Saab's commitment to solving real-world safety challenges.

Safety Belts and Airbags Offer Personal Protection

Predictable deformation behavior enables the design of the safety belts,
airbags and interior details to be optimized to further reduce the risk of
occupant injury in a collision. Safety belts are the most important
restraint system in any car. In a Saab, the front safety belts include
pretensioning retractors that automatically tighten the belts during a crash
to control body movement. In addition, the shoulder belts' upper anchorage
points are adjustable to help the occupants position the belt correctly and
comfortably across the body.

The car's most technically sophisticated safety system are the dual airbags,
standard on every 1997 Saab. Airbags for the driver and front passenger
inflate in less than three-hundredths of a second, helping to arrest the
forward movement of the

occupants during a crash. Airbags, together with pretensioning safety belts
and the carefully engineered body structure of a Saab, have contributed to
many Saab owners walking away from accidents that may have otherwise left
them seriously injured.

Saab seats also contribute to passenger safety. Each individual seat --
front and rear -- is sculpted with an anti-submarining design. The shape of
each seat is specifically designed to prevent occupants from sliding forward
and under the safety

"On-Board" Safetv Cards Provide Quick Reference

Taking a cue from its aircraft heritage, Saab equips all 1997 Saab cars with
on- board safety cards -- a quick reference summary of important safety
information of immediate use to the Saab driver and passengers. Because many
motorists overlook key safety features such as proper head restraint
position, or they may be unfamiliar with the feel and proper operation of
technology such as ABS, a quick review of the safety card -- similar to
those found in airliner seatbacks -- helps drivers and passengers take full
advantage of Saab's safety equipment.

The two-sided 5-by-8-inch cards highlight key occupant safety topics such as
correct safety belt position, proper driving position in relation to the
driver-side air bag, child seat placement, ABS behavior and how to properly
transport and secure heavy, bulky items in the rear seat or trunk. An
industry first, model-specific versions of the Saab on-board safety card are
included in each Saab 900 and 9000.

Active Safety: Prevent an Accident From Happening

Saabs are built to perfomm well at minimizing injury in a collision, but
they also are engineered with an extremely high level of active safety --
attributes that enable the driver to avoid accidents. Many of the same
factors that make Saab cars especially fun to drive also make them safe to
drive. The advanced Saab chassis is designed to behave consistently and
predictably in all situations, conveying clear and relevant signals to the
driver.

This philosophy contributes to a Saab's steering precision and directional
stability, as well as stable behavior on braking, acceleration and sudden
swerving maneuvers on a variety of road surfaces. From the first Saab
prototype in 1946 to the present, all Saabs have utilized front-wheel drive
for superior driveability, especially in adverse weather conditions.

All 1997 Saab models are equipped with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS,
which allow the driver to maintain steering control during panic braking.
The four-channel ABS system on the Saab 900 is further enhanced by
Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), which precisely controls
distribution of the braking effort between the front and rear wheels,
regardless of the load in the car. Larger brakes discs and calipers for the
1997 Saab 900 allow the brake pads to be positioned further from the disc
center, allowing more braking torque for shorter stopping distances and
better pedal feel.

Interaction Between Saab and Driver

Inspired from Saab's aircraft heritage, the cockpit of a Saab car is
designed to give the driver information quickly and clearly. The driver sits
comfortably in an ergonomically correct position, with all pertinent
controls and gauges within natural reach. Dials and controls on the
dashboard are arranged in logical groups, according to their functions and
frequency of use. Instruments make good use of easily understood symbols.
Illumination of gauges and controls presents each item clearly. Some
controls offer complete automation at the driver's discretion. For exampla,
the Automatic Climate Control (ACC) frees the driver of the need to adjust
the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. By pressing one
button, ACC is automatically controlled by a microprocessor unless the
driver wishes to override any of the functions.

To reduce the number of informational inputs during night driving, the Saab
900 features an innovative "Black Panel" that allows the driver to darken
all gauges and other non-essential information except the speedometer.
Displays appear on a "need to know" basis such as when the fuel level is low
or engine temperature is high.

Saab Lights the Way to Safety

To see and be seen is of vital importance for a driver. Saab lighting
systems have long been given particular attention, partly because of the
long hours of darkness and frequent adverse weather conditions in Sweden,
Saab's home country. All new Saab cars feature powerful halogen headlights,
front and rear fog lamps, headlight wipers and washers and daytime running
lights (DRLs).

DRLs are continuously illuminated headlights activated automatically when
the ignition is on. Their use has been proven to be an effective, low-cost
method of reducing car-to-car crashes during daylight hours. Such lights are
mandatory throughout Scandinavia and on new cars sold in Canada. Saab has
offered a DRL alternative in Sweden since 1968.

Saab pioneered wiper blades and washers to clean the headlights in 1971 on
Saab 96 and 99 models. This rally-inspired safety features eliminates dirty
headlights which can seriously impede a driver's night vision, as well as
another driver's ability to detect an oncoming car. In 1971, the Swedish
Automobile Association awarded Saab a gold medal for this feature, which
later became required by law in Sweden.

Light Collision Resistance for Lower Insurance Costs

In a high-speed crash, a Saab is designed to sacrifice its own body for the
protection of its occupants. In a low-speed collision, an owner will
appreciate Saab's damage resistance. Both the Saab 900 and 9000 feature
foam-ccre bumpers that actually restore to their original shape following a
low-speed impact of 5 mph or less.

Each year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) subjects new
cars to a series of low-speed crash tests to check the strength of their
bumpers. In a recent round of tests, a Saab 900 was the only four-door
mid-size car to drive away from the 5-mph front and rear flat barrier
impacts without damage. In fact, the 900 is one of only four cars tested
since 1990 that suffered zero damage in the flat barrier tests.

Behind the front bumper of the Saab 900 is a unique "low-speed crash
protection system," designed to protect the sheet metal and lamp clusters
from damage in minor collisions of up to about 13 mph. Special replaceable
deformation elements mounted behind the front bumper absorb the energy of a
low-speed impact. Because these modules can be easily replaced, the cost of
a minor collision is reduced -- an advantage for the consumer and the
insurance company.

Saab is Recognized as a Safety Leader

Success of Saab's safety engineering is apparent by the numerous accolades
Saab has received for its commitment to protecting occupants. Sweden's
largest car insurance company, Folksam, has honored the Saab 9000 as
"Sweden's Safest Car" three times in a row. In the U.S., Saabs consistently
rank among the top cars for low injury and collision losses by the Highway
Loss Data Institute. The most important accolades Saab receives, however,
come in the form of real-world Uthank you" letters from Saab owners who
walked away from a serious collision.
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