European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday november 28, 1994 automotive the stars and stripes Page 9 French automaker is Peugeot citroen will decide by next Spring whether it will re enter the . Market from which it withdrew in 1991 after continued r pointing results president Jacques Calvet said Friday. When Peugeot citroen announced its new minivans last year Calvet ordered a study group to examine the possibility of returning to the american Market retold journalists and Auto executives at the automobile club of France. Peugeot had entered the . Marketing 1956, but the highest annual sales it reached there were Only 20,000 vehicles and by 1991 it was Selling Only its 405sedan in Small numbers. With the Peugeot 806 minivan and its twin the citroen evasion As Well As the Boxer and jumper Utility vans Peugeot has renewed interest in tapping the . Market which last year surpassed Europe As the world s biggest Auto Market. The . Minivan Market is More than 1 million vehicles a year and growing. Peugeot also reportedly has been interested in trying to sell its High end 605 Sedan in the United states. Federal vehicle safety regulators Are leaning toward asking Chrysler corp. To recall 4 million minivans to replace rear door latches that allegedly Are unsafe the Detroit news has reported. No decision has been made but National Highway traffic safety administration officials have shown Chrysler officials evidence they believe justifies a recall the report said. Critics of the company allege the  on the rear lift Gate door of the minivans fail in crashes allowing the door to come open and passengers to be thrown out. Documents filed at the safety administration link at least 10 deaths to alleged door Latch failures the news report said. The Agency announced in Marci that it had upgraded its investigation into reports that the rear hatches popped open in crashes involving 1984-94 Plymouth voyager Dodge caravan and Chrysler town and country minivans. Chrysler spokesman Rick Deneau said they Are the safest minivans in the  he would t comment on the status of the Agency investigation but said Chrysler had cooperated  Volkswagen . And its luxury car division Audi have teamed up with manufacturing engineering group Preus Sag . To open a used car. Recycling Plant that could  prototype for other such plants. The facility initially will Recycle about 5,000 cars annually. Vow Europe s largest automaker said it contacted about 100 Auto dealers in the Bremen Germany Region where the recycling Plant is located and persuaded them to help handle cars brought in by customers. Although the Plant eventually should accept 10,000 autos a year this is Only a Small fraction of the millions of cars the vow group produces annually. Toyota expects to sell up to 50,000 of the japanese automaker s Kentucky buil Avalon sedans in the United states next year without hurting sales of the new car s Cousin the camry Sedan. An additional 14,000 Avalon will be exported to Japan Taiwan puerto Rico Canada and the Middle East. At this Point in time Europe is not on the Export list Toyota motor sales vice president Robert d. Weldon said. The Avalon was designed for the . Market built at the company Georgetown ky., Plant which recently underwent an $800 million expansion shipments to dealers began last week. From the associated press a Side View of safety Volvo s new air bag takes a front seat in some 95 models by Peter . Elsworth Newyork times Volvo has gotten a jump on its competitors in the Auto safety race with the introduction of the first Side Impact air bag. The swedish car maker known for its safety conscious features is making much of the front seat safety feature in its to commercials for 1995 models. The Side air bags Are Standard equip ment in the new 850 Turbo models and Are a $500 option on other 850  940 and 960 models Are expected to be next in 1996.Volvo asserts that Side Impact Colli Sions make up 25 percent of serious or fatal injuries sustained in car accidents a figure confirmed by the National High Way traffic safety administration. Indeed Side air bags Are on the Indus try s mind. In 1990, the Federal govern ment set stricter Side Impact standards to become effective on All cars by 1997. Under the new standards a test Dummy must be Able to survive a 30 Mph Impact to the Side of the car. The old Cri Teria were largely based on the strength of the car door. The hew standards do not require Side Impact air bags. In fact the standards do not specify any particular equipment or material. Tim Hurd a spokesman for the High Way safely administration said that All of the Agency s standards Are based on performance. Volvo said its cars already meet the 1997 Side Impact standards without the Side air bag. It said the air bag helps to reduce Chest injuries further while added foam padding on the door reduces Pelvic injury. Volvo s Side Impact air bags Are mounted in pouches in the sides of the front seats. The bags Are connected to a sensor set below the seat that activates when a collision equal to at least 11 Mph pushes the door into the seat. A firing pin strikes a percussion Cap in the sensor and a tiny explosion generates a wave of pressure that moves through two plastic tubes. The tubes which connect to two Gas generators in the Side of the seat contain an explosive powder. A Small explosive charge sets off the generators one after the other to inflate the Bagin stages and to keep it inflated longer. The expanding gases mostly nitrogen push the bag through a seam in the Side of the seat and into the space Between the occupant and the Side of the car. The bag itself is about a foot Long arid Volvo s new Side Impact air bag shown inflated is mounted inside the scam of the scat. About 5 inches in diameter. The whole process to inflate the bag takes about 12 milliseconds or twelve thousandths of a second. A number of other car makers including Mercedes Benz Are working of Side Impact air bags but theirs Are expected to be door mounted. Volvo decided to mount its bag in the seat contending that it provides More consistent Protection because people move their seats Forward and backward said Bob Austin director of communications at Volvo. Babies air bags spell danger Atlanta dual air bags Are becoming Standard in Many new cars. They can save lives and prevent serious injuries. But for infants under 20 pounds who need to ride in rear facing car seats they can be a serious threat to safety. To deploy fast enough to protect adult passengers an air bag inflates with enough Force to cause serious injuries to a child in a rear facing safety seat mounted in the front seat of the car. Because the air bag opens from the dashboard with such tremendous Force there also is the potential for the child safety seat and the baby to be thrown up into the Headrest or Between the seats said Maryann Johnston emergency Cen Ter nurse at Egleston children s Hospital at Emory University in Atlanta. Johnston offered these guidelines for safely carrying children and babies in cars with air bags All babies should ride in the Back seat in rear facing car seats until they Are old enough and Large enough to face Forward. That Means they should be at least 20 pounds or a year old. Babies under 20 pounds Are More Likely to suffer neck injuries in a crash if they Are facing Forward. Ask your car dealer if there Are Mir ror accessories you can use to help you see your infant in the Back seat while you Are driving. If your baby has special medical problems and you Are nervous about leaving him or her alone in the Back seat while you drive recruit an adult Helper to ride with you. When your child is big enough to ride facing Forward in a safety seat you can use it in the front seat. Slide the Pas Senger seat Back As far As it will go. If there s a crash the child will be cushioned when the air bag opens fully. However the Center of the Back seat Sis still the safest Choice for mounting a child safety seat Johnston said. Starting in August the National High Way traffic safety administration began requiring labels on rear facing child safety seats that warn of the danger of using them in front seats equipped with Passyn Ger air bags. Cars equipped with Passen Ger Side air bags already were required to have warning labels on their Sun visors. As a Parent myself i am particularly concerned about children s safety transportation Secretary Federico Pena said when he announced the new Labelling Rule in february. We could save the lives of 450 children and prevent 50,000 serious injuries each year if All children Rode in correctly used child safety