2012 Jeep® Wrangler-Two-dozen Safety and Security Features

August 20, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  The 2012 Jeep® Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited offer the latest technology to help keep the driver in control. Standard electronic stability control (ESC) and electronic roll mitigation (ERM) are included in a long list of safety and security features. Like all Jeep vehicles, Jeep Wrangler models are designed to improve handling and accident avoidance and provide occupant protection.

“The new 2012 Jeep Wrangler incorporates a wide range of safety technologies, with two dozen different features working in harmony to give consumers significant protection, whether on the road or trail,” said Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President — Engineering, Chrysler Group LLC.

Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited include the highest level of safety features ever offered in the vehicle's history, in order to provide customers the ability to safely "go anywhere and do anything."

Following are available safety and security features
in the 2012 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited:

• Anti-lock braking system (ABS): Senses and prevents wheel lockup, offering improved steering control under extreme braking and/or slippery conditions
• Advanced multi-stage air bags: Offer enhanced protection for a range of occupants
• All-speed traction control: Senses drive-wheel slip and applies individual brakes to slipping wheel(s), and can reduce excess engine power until traction is regained
• BeltAlert: Periodically activates a chime and illuminates an icon in the instrument cluster to remind the driver and front passenger to buckle up if a vehicle is driven without the driver or front passenger being properly belted
• Brake Assist: In a panic brake condition, the system applies maximum braking power, providing the shortest possible stopping distance
• Brake/Park interlock: Prevents an automatic transmission or transaxle from being shifted out of Park unless the brake pedal is applied
• Brake traction control system (BTCS): Helps to keep driving wheels from spinning during acceleration from a stop or during slow speeds by applying individual brakes to the slipping wheel(s)
• Child seat anchor system: Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) is designed to ease installation of compatible aftermarket child seats
• Child-protection rear-door locks: Disables the rear doors' inside-release handle via a small lever on the door-shut face
• Constant force retractors (CFR): Distribute force or load exerted on a seat belt, and then gradually release the seat-belt webbing in a controlled manner
• Crumple zones: Designed to compress during an accident to absorb energy from an impact, decreasing transfer of that energy to occupants
• Electronic roll mitigation (ERM): An extension of the electronic stability control (ESC). Uses input from ESC sensors to anticipate if the vehicle is at risk of entering a potential roll situation then reacts immediately, applying the brakes individually and modulating throttle position as needed to attempt avoiding a roll situation
• Electronic stability control (ESC): Enhances driver control and helps maintain directional stability under all conditions. Provides the greatest benefit in critical driving situations such as turns, and is especially valuable when driving on mixed surface conditions including snow, ice or gravel. If there's a discernible difference between what the driver directs through the steering wheel and the vehicle's path, ESC applies selective braking and throttle input in order to put the vehicle back onto the driver's intended path
• Energy-absorbing steering column: The manual-adjust steering column utilizes two hydroformed coaxial tubes that can move relative to each other and allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy-absorption during a crash. The steering column employs a calibrated bending element that deforms during column stroke for optimal energy management
• Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS): Makes it easier for emergency personnel to see and reach occupants in the event of an accident by turning on interior lighting and unlocking doors after air-bag deployment. Also shuts off the flow of fuel to the engine
• Height-adjustable seat belts: Allows front seat occupants to raise and lower the shoulder belt. Encourages seat-belt usage by offering a more comfortable fit
• Hill-start Assist (HSA): Assists drivers when starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill by maintaining the level of brake pressure applied for a short period of time after a driver’s foot is removed from the brake pedal. If throttle is not applied within a short period of time after the driver’s foot is removed from the brake pedal, brake pressure will be released
• Interior head-impact protection: Interior pillars above the belt line and instrument panel including areas around windshield and rear window headers, roof and side-rail structures, and shoulder-belt turning loops specifically designed to limit head-impact force
• Knee bolsters: The lower instrument panel and glove-box door are designed to properly position the occupant, enabling air bags to work effectively
• Remote keyless entry: Locks and unlocks doors, and turns on interior lamps. If the vehicle is equipped with a vehicle-theft security alarm, the remote also arms and disarms that system
• Seat-belt pretensioners: During a collision, impact sensors initiate front seat-belt pretensioners to immediately remove slack, thereby reducing the forward movement of occupants' heads and torsos
• Sentry Key® engine immobilizer: Utilizes an engine key that has an embedded transponder with a preprogrammed security code to discourage vehicle theft. When the key is inserted into the ignition, the controller sends a random number to the transponder and the engine is allowed to start. If an incorrect key is used, the engine will shut off after only a few seconds
• Supplemental side air bags: Provide enhanced protection of the driver and front outboard passenger in certain impacts. Each side air bag has its own impact sensor that autonomously triggers the air bag on the side where an impact occurs. Supplemental side air bags are housed within the outboard side of each front seat
• Trailer-sway Control (TSC): Reduces trailer sway and improves handling in adverse towing conditions caused by crosswinds and traffic. The system monitors the vehicle’s movement relative to the driver’s intended path, then applies alternating brake pressure to slow the vehicle and then increases the pressure on one front wheel in order to counteract the sway induced by the trailer