LINCOLN TOWN CAR LIMOUSINE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON AND THEN THE VEHICLE HIT A TREE. PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE WAS KILLED. CONSUMER STATES A DIFFERENT DESIGN WOULD HAVE SAVED THE PASSENGERS LIFE. *KB WHAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO BE SO SEVERE WAS THE LAYOUT AND PLACEMENT IN THE VEHICLE OF WHAT WAS CALLED A SIDE IMPACT INTRUSION BEAM, WHICH WAS SIMPLY A RECTANGULAR THIN-WALLED CONVENTIONAL STEEL TUBE, PLACED ALONGSIDE THE VEHICLE CLOSE TO THE OUTER PANEL OF THE EXTENDED SECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THE TUBE WAS MOUNTED IN THE VEHICLE WITH ITS FRONT END OPEN AND SOME DISTANCE BEHIND THE B-PILLAR. THE SIDE INTRUSION BEAM CUT FIRMLY INTO THE TREE, WHICH IS WHY THE FORCE BECAME HIGH ENOUGH TO RIP THE VEHICLE APART. THE FRONT END OF THE BEAM WAS WELDED TO A CROSS MEMBER THAT WAS POSITIONED A SHORT DISTANCE BEHIND THE OPEN END OF THE BEAM. HAD THE CROSS MEMBER INSTEAD BEEN PLACED IN FRONT OF THE BEAM COVERING ITS FULL WIDTH, THE BEAM WOULD NOT HAVE IMPALED THE TREE. THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE INSTEAD HAVE BEEN DEFLECTED TO THE SIDE BY THE TREES ROUND CROSS SECTION AND SLIPPERY SURFACE. *JB