Our engineers and technicians conducted the 25,000th crash test this week at our safety research center in Chelsea, Michigan.
Crash-testing at Chelsea Proving Grounds (CPG) began in 1962, when vehicles were rolled down an outdoor ramp to collide with a second, stationary vehicle.
Seven tests were conducted that year. Fast-forward to today and CPG performs nearly twice that many every week.
Over the last 10 years alone, CPG’s engineers and technicians have left their fingerprints on nearly 70 five-star vehicle ratings under the U.S. New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
There have been major advancements in methodology since that first test decades ago. Tests have become more sophisticated and diverse, as vehicles are now secured to sleds in a controlled environment and hurled against barriers of various shapes – all under the unforgiving watch of cameras and data recorders.
As tests have evolved, so has technology. Accordingly, we have pioneered new features that have further enhanced occupant safety, including industry-first achievements such as:
∙ The 1988 introduction of air bags as standard equipment
∙ Integrated child-safety seats in 1992
∙ And most recently, the 2018 debut of a patented frame-rail design for the Ram 1500
