General Motors Corp. said it plans to remove antilock brake systems as standard equipment from fewer vehicles than it reported initially, according to a Detroit Free Press story by Alejandro Bodipo-Memba. A spokesman for the Detroit automaker said antilock brakes will remain as standard equipment across 82 percent of its passenger vehicle fleet starting with the 2003 model year, compared with 90 percent of its 2002 vehicles. GM also said it will have antilock brakes as standard equipment on two new models, the Saturn Ion and the Hummer H2. Antilock brakes will remain standard on all Cadillacs, Corvettes, Saabs, Buick LeSabres, the Pontiac Bonneville and all truck models, including midsize and full-size sport utility vehicles, according to GM. GM had said it would remove antilock brakes from most of its product lineup, which consists of 58 models. GM clarified the statement April 12, saying that 184 out of 224 vehicles in its lineup would continue to offer antilock brakes as standard equipment. The new figures take into account the numerous body and interior styles available for each model, according to the Detroit Free Press. The presence of antilock brakes had little effect on preventing police-reported crashes that led to injuries or fatalities, according to one study published in 1995 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But consumer safety groups are concerned that GM's move to reduce the number of vehicles that have standard antilock brakes may be detrimental to drivers.
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