Ford Phl builds a safer future with “Caring for Tomorrow” campaign

MANILA, Philippines - Ford Philippines launched last week the “Caring for Tomorrow” campaign to promote greater safety awareness and to showcase some of Ford’s new safety and driver assistance technologies which could assist drivers with challenging traffic conditions.

“With the launch of this campaign, we’re hoping to engage Filipinos in a conversation about safer driving, to help them make better choices for themselves and their loved ones,” said Kay Hart, managing director, Ford Philippines.

“Ford is a pioneer in implementing technologies and we are committed to providing safe vehicles in the Philippines and around the world,” said Pete Hardigan, director of Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, Ford Asia Pacific.

“We are going further to develop innovative safety technologies, and to make them accessible and affordable,” he added. “Our engineers are putting themselves in consumers’ shoes and developing features and technologies that make the on-road experience safer and smarter.”

Experiencing smart and safety innovations

To kick off the “Caring for Tomorrow” campaign and to offer a sneak peek into the future of safety, Ford showed how premium advanced features and technologies can assist drivers with challenging traffic conditions at Bonifacio Global City last October 25 and 26. Through the campaign, Ford is urging consumers to drive safely for the sake of their loved ones, and consider technologies that can helpthem do so.

Participants learned about Adaptive Cruise Control, which helps drivers maintain a safe following distance; and Ford SYNC, which allows drivers to stay connected while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

Parents appreciated the hands-on demonstration of MyKey, an industry-first technology that allows parents to program a key for younger drivers that limits top speed, reduces maximum radio volume, disables the radio untilthe seatbelts are fastened, and prevents deactivation of driver assistance and safety technologies. Apart from providing peace of mind to parents, MyKey gives younger drivers freedom while encouraging them to be more responsible and safer drivers behind the wheel.

Stepping into demonstration vehicles, visitors tried Active City Stop, which is designed to mitigate and, in certain circumstances, avoid low-speed rear-end collisions with stationary or slower-moving traffic in front. Newcomers to Active Park Assist enjoyed the exciting experience of having the car steer itself into a parallel parking space. The technology is designed to take the hassle out of parallel parking.

Visitors also had the opportunity to try on the innovative tools that help Ford engineers to understand the needs of customers with specific mobility issues, including the Empathy Belly, and the Third Age Suit, which help to simulate the restricted movement of pregnant women and older people, respectively.

At the conclusion of the tour, all participants were invited to make a safety pledge, recognizing their individual responsibility to keep roads safe. 

“Road safety relies on good driver habits in addition to safe vehicles,” said Hart. “With the safety pledge, and by emphasizing safety through our various programs including Driving Skills for Life, we’re working hard to make the roads safer for all Filipinos.”

The future of safety

“Even before demand exists, Ford engineers are brainstorming ideas for safety technologies that we won’t see deployed for another 10, 15, 20 years,” said Pim van der Jagt, managing director of the European Ford Research Center and executive technical leader, Global Vehicle Dynamics, Driver Assistance and Active Safety Systems. “We are developing the safety and smart innovations of tomorrow and making them accessible to our customers. We are not just making smarter and safer vehicles, but also contributing to a better future.”

One vision that Ford is helping to make a reality is vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication.

“In the coming years, we may see more services based on two-way V2V communication systems, allowing cars to communicate with each other about driving and traffic conditions, even when they are out of sight of each other,” said van der Jagt. “In the longer term, we hope to see widespread use of V2I systems, allowing cars to talk to infrastructure and traffic management systems. The result could besafer roads, improved mobility, reduced emissions and fuel consumption.”

“Ford Motor Company has a history of pioneering technology,” added van der Jagt. “From the introduction of the moving assembly line 100 years ago to the advanced safety and convenience features we offer today, to the technologies we are developing for the drivers of tomorrow, we are continuing to define the future of mobility.”