ix of Ford's vehicles received the top five star rating for both driver and passenger side impacts. Ford is also the leader in dual air-bag protection. Air-bags play an important role in occupant safety, however some studies have shown them to be the cause of death in children riding in the front seat. For this reason, Ford was the first to offer the option to enable the owner to deactivate the air-bags.The Checker Cab Company in Atlanta found one of Ford's five-star rated vehicle, the Ford Crown Victoria a great addition to their fleet. Today nearly half of all the cabs in the company's line-up are that of the Ford Crown Victoria. They know that business will increase by offering a Ford safe drive.VALUING THE COMMUNITY Ford strives on making the world a better place. The company has been involved in many charities and community events. Canadian Ford dealerships served as collection points for blankets and clothing to assist victims of the floods in Manitoba. They also assisted by providing trucks and vans to transport people and equipment during the crisis. Ford also pledged $13.4 Million to the 1997 United Way Community Services campaign in Michigan. This is the single largest pledge to any local United Way in the U.S. Giving back to the community is ingrained in Ford's employees, their value system and their heritage. This is the way of life at Ford, which dates back to the founding of Ford Motors Co. "The human side of business must be elevated to a position of equal importance with the material side" (Henry Ford.)QUALITYAt Ford quality is job one. Ford views each and every one of it's product as significant engineering milestones and verifies that each product meets the customer needs. Ford's efforts to continuously improve quality help the company earn customer satisfaction. Ford's Atlanta Assembly Plant received the 1997 J.D. Power and Associates Platinum Award for initial quality. (The highest ranking in the wor...
