Instead of driving like wobbly boxes, they are buttoned down, solid and as nicely equipped as any family sedan. Another key piece of standard equipment is the Personal Safety System that uses sensors to determine the severity of a crash, the position of the front seat and whether seat belts are in use. Two-stage front airbags then deploy according to crash severity and whether the passenger seat is occupied.
Retractors tighten the seat belts to help control an occupant's forward motion.
In recent crash tests by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the Windstar received a five-star rating for front and rear passengers in a side impact. In 1999, it received five stars for frontal impacts. Results for 2001 are not yet available, but there is no reason to think they would be any lower. Later in the year, Ford's AdvanceTrac vehicle stability system will be available. AdvanceTrac uses the anti-lock brakes and traction control systems to help counteract skidding in emergency evasive maneuvers.