On Monday, six of the Lincoln Jr. High School’s ICP (Integrated Chemistry and Physics) classes visited Oliver Ford Lincoln in Plymouth as part of the project-based learning taught by Mr. Bob Garrity. The purpose of the off-site adventure was to take what they’re learning about speed, velocity and acceleration and observe how they impact our world in real life applications.
John Oliver, III, General Manager at Oliver Ford Lincoln, met with each of the six classes, discussing the basic safety structures in every Ford and Lincoln, from seat belts, airbags and crumple zones to advanced features like the canopy roof rollover airbags, side airbags and the ability of the airbags to come out in two stages based on weight, mass and velocity. He discussed the very complex algorithms that come into play to figure out how much air to put into the airbags and at what time, as well as the gyroscopic sensors that activate the canopy airbags before a rollover occurs, saving lives and minimizing damage.
“I loved their excitement when we started talking about what they might expect in future cars,” said Oliver, “and something that has just come out in the all-new Lincoln MKX is a camera and radar system that allows a driver to ‘see’ what’s ahead despite fog or other physical hindrances, and even will preload your brakes to the proper amount of braking so you don’t over- or under-apply and potentially lose control in a panic situation.”
When given the opportunity, the students asked probing questions, such as which vehicle he believes to be the safest vehicle on the road. Oliver didn’t hesitate. “The Ford Taurus”, Oliver declared. “It’s not the largest vehicle on the road, but it’s packed with innovations and safety features that make this mid-sized car equally as safe as our larger trucks and SUVs which naturally are safe by their sheer mass of metal.”
“Mr. Garrity did a great job of relating cars and safety to math and science…letting them explore what they think is fun, but teaching them math and science along the way. I’ve never felt more impressed or encouraged about what the future holds with these bright minds leading the way”, said Oliver.
Garrity’s students will use the information shared on this outing, as well as earlier discussions held with two Indiana State Policemen who deal with accidents frequently, to complete a short video on car safety features, and how they relate to speed, velocity and acceleration. The videos are expected to be available on YouTube by the end of October.
