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Buying a new car is a remarkable experience! You get the thrill of something new that will afford freedom, flexibility, and reliability. In the whirlwind of excitement, it is also important to ascertain the safety features that are being offered to protect you and your precious cargo. Here we are going to review the top eight safety factors to research when purchasing a new vehicle.
It is important to note that all automobiles being manufactured do have certain elements for safety that are mandated. The top mandated features include seat belts, airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH).
Advancement in safety factors and driver-aided technology is changing at a rapid pace, in large part because of the desire of automakers to have fully autonomous vehicles. These are the top factors that can help keep you and your passengers safe. Another consideration is that enhanced safety can lead to better financing options.
Table of Contents
1. Blind Spot Monitoring (Bsm)
This feature uses radar and cameras mounted on the rear bumper or side mount to monitor vehicles in adjacent lanes. You are signaled through a head-up display (HUD), warning lights, or a tactile notification if your car is equipped with a haptic driver seat or steering wheel.
2. Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS)
In addition to the BSM, avoidance monitoring also covers the front of your vehicle by applying the brakes if an object enters the forward path of your car. Lane-keeping, lane-departure, and park-assist also lower the chances of your vehicle being in an accident.
3. Telematics
Telematic systems such as OnStar by GM allow you to contact a dispatch center in the event of a lockout or accident. GPS monitoring can also aid with locating a missing vehicle. Telematics does incur a subscription fee for use, but this is nominal, generally $10 – $30 per month.
4. Rear Automatic Emergency Braking (RAEB)
This feature may include a pedestrian detection function, and applies the back breaks in an emergent situation when the car is in reverse.
5. Traction Control
Traction control aids in limiting wheel spin when accelerating. This is very effective when driving in wet or icy road conditions. This is accomplished by utilizing the ABS to brake the spinning wheel and shift power to the opposing drive wheel. It may also incorporate a throttling back of the engine or a transmission upshift to help mitigate wheel spin.
6. Adaptive Cruise Control
Through the use of laser, cameras, and/or radar, adaptive cruise control helps to maintain a safe following distance to the vehicle directly ahead of you. As the other driver changes their speed, the cruise on your car will adjust accordingly to maintain safety. Additionally, if your car is equipped with lane-keeping assist, your vehicle will stay within the lane markers.
7. Lane-Departure Warning (LDW)
If your vehicle drifts out of a lane, this system will alert you by a chime, vibrations of your seat or steering wheel, or a dashboard indicator. This system would be activated if you change lanes without giving the appropriate signal.
8. Backup Cameras
In 2018, backup cameras are standard on all light-duty vehicles. This safety feature is important because it can help with monitoring the rear side of the vehicle for unseen objects or pedestrians that may be approaching from the blind spot. Adding backup cameras to vehicles has reduced the number of children accidentally run over by vehicles in reverse.
As you can clearly see, there are many factors to consider when thinking about the safety of your car and all that you carry inside. While there is no right or wrong decision to the selection of optional safety factors, the expense can be more than covered by the prevention of injury or worse. When seraching for a new car to buy, take to reserach safety features and decide which feature are most important to you.
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