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WHITBY F REE PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2Oth, 1973, PAGE 5- MOTORI1NG a. aMaM VOLKSWAGEN TESTS AUTOMATIC SEAT BELIS Volkswagen Canada Ltd. announcedtoday the start of a year-long highway test in North America of 50 Beeties, equipped with a new auto 'matic seat beit systemn which provides the protection of the three-point séat belts with none of the buckling-up inconvenience. Volkswagen spokesmen said that, in addition to vastly increased convenience for the user, the new auto- motive beit systemn is an effective alternative to the air bags proposed in the United States. The Volkswagen system will cost considerably less than air bags and provide greater occupant protection. That is, because air bags primarily protect occupants during frontal collision, while seat belts also offer protection in lateral and roîl-over accidents. Belts also restrain occupants in low speed impacts, for which air bags provide no0 protection at ail. Totally passive -- requiring no action by the user -- VW's front-seat automatic restraint system consists of-a safety beit, which runs diagonally across the user's torso from his "outboard" shoulder to his "inhoard" hip, and a padded knee bar located beneath the dashboard. AUTOMATIC RETRACTOR The upper end of the webbed belt ini VW's new sys- tei s fastened firmily to the rear edge of the Beetle's door. about six inches below the top. The other end is fastened to a retractor device located behind and betw- een the car's front bucket seats. As the door opens, it pulls the belt from the retractor and provides access to the interior of the car. When the door is closed, the retractor automnatically takes up the belt slack and adjusts it to the normal wearing position. Full freedomi of miovement is permnitted the "wearer" ini ail but emnergency situations as a result of the systemi's emrergency-locking. inertia-reel type retractor. Whe:î the driver reaches across the car to close the opposite door, thue belt pays out fromi its retractor as gradutaI pressure is exerted against it. Wlien the pressure is remnoved from the beit, the excess length winds back. Any sudden deceleration of the car -- whether caused by panic stops or collisioun -- irnmediately locks up the seat belt, restraining the occupant. The knee bar. made from foam-padded sheet mnetal, preveuits the occupant from sliding forward into the dashboard. The new system has a "disconneet" switch that pre- vents engine start-up unless the beits are properly con- nected to the ancluorages. Emergency buttons, located at the upper ends of the belts, provide a quick release of the occupants if circumnstances require. Bruno R. Rubess, Presid..nt of Volkswageuu Canada Ltd., said that "We believe this new restraint system is an important step in the development of occu:pant pro- tection. It operates automnaticaily anud provides protec- tion equal or superior to that offered by the best of today's seat belt system s. " The Ministry of Transport lias been offered -one TOWN 0F WHITBY HOLIDAY GARBAGE COLLECTION There will be no garbage collection on New Year's day, Tuesday, January let, 1974. Garbage which would normally be colîected on Tuesday will be collected on Wednesday, January 2, 1974. The Garbage DisposaI Site will be cîosed on New Year's Day. Christmas Trees wiIl be picked up the week of January 7, 1974. W.A. Evans, P.Eng., Director of Public Works. NOTICE CHARTERWAYS CO. LTD. announce a change of rates for the Bowmanville-Oshawa- Whitby line run effective January let, 1974. BOWMANVLLE - COUR TIGE $.50 IJOJV'ANVILLE - TOWN LINE .50 BOWMANVILLE - OSHAWVA .65 BOWMANVILLE - OSHA WA SHOPPING CENTRE .65 BOIVMANVILLE - JVHITBY .75 BOIVA'ANVILLE - IVHITBY HOSPITALS .85 OSHA WA - JVHJTBY .50 IVJITB Y --IVHITB Y HOSPITA L .35 COMMUTER TICKETS - 12 TICKETS FOR THE PRICE OFI 0 TICKETS 248 SIMPSON AVENUE BOWMANVILLE ___________________Mu I Retallers of Fine Photogîaphîc Equîpment Easy Credot lerms Availobfr' No Down Poymnent Required Bond Towers Malil Chargez Accepted 579-1701 44 Bond Street West e OStA-WA ' our iwish that merrhnent may brighten your happy home, ail season long.