CURTAIN airbags are optional on XLT and cover about 65 per cent of the side glass to protect front and middle row outboard occupants in a side impact. The airbags deploy and inflate within 40 milli-seconds of the collision. The fully integrated, computer-driven Personal Safety System uses a collection of sensors feeding information back to the vehicle's Restraints Control Module - the "brain" of the system. The module takes into account the driver's seating position, driver and front-seat occupant's safety belt usage and accident severity before deploying appropriate safety technologies during frontal collisions. The restraint system includes dual-stage front airbags that deploy based on crash severity. The Explorer has seatbelt pretensioners and load-limiting retractors, and seats are anti-submarining. The front portion of the vehicle's frame includes precisely engineered crush zones, which buckle and dissipate energy in a frontal impact. The fully boxed frame is 350 per cent stiffer throughout, which provides further side-impact protection. Steel beams in the doors also help prevent intrusion during side impacts. The Explorer was made friendlier to other vehicles by lowering its bumper beam height 65mm to be on par with many passenger cars. All Explorers are equipped with a patented new ControlSlip rear driveshaft designed to telescope, not buckle, in the event of a frontal impact.