Snapping your seat belt into place before a big road trip isn’t the only safety feature available in cars today. Remarkably, many advanced features originate from ideas targeting self-driving vehicles of tomorrow, reports Kelley Blue Book.
Learn all about today’s safety features when considering a new car purchase right now.
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Backup Cameras and Rear Cross-Traffic Warnings
Visibility is an issue when you back up a vehicle. There are always blind spots. Luckily, backup cameras are required in vehicles manufactured in 2018 and beyond.
Although you still need to turn around to check your blind spots, the camera adds a wide-angle view directly behind you.
An advanced feature to consider is rear cross-traffic warnings. Warning you with a sound or vibration, this feature tells you when a car or pedestrian approaches your vehicle during a reverse motion.
Reducing accidents and saving lives are both attributed to these rear-view safety features.
Airbags
Airbags became mandatory for all new vehicles in 1999. Today’s vehicles often have more than just the standard, front-passenger airbags. Indeed, some manufacturers add side, knee or even curtain airbags to their vehicle designs.
Purchasing a vehicle with multiple airbags can reduce injuries in the event of a collision. Typically, the number of airbags is noted on the vehicle’s specification list.
Tire Pressure Monitoring
Taking the guesswork out of your vehicle’s health is the job of the tire-pressure monitoring system. Depending on the model, your vehicle might have a readout of the PSI for each tire or a dashboard icon indicating when air is necessary.
In particular, this safety feature provides peace of mind if you’re unsure of your tires’ health. For extreme conditions, such as heatwaves and cold snaps, you can monitor your tires’ air pressure and know when you need to add or release some air for safe driving.
Collision Prevention Features
Safety features that help drivers pay attention to the road are the most popular new technologies. For example, lane-departure warnings and lane-centering assist features prevent wandering into other lanes.
If your vehicle approaches an obstacle at a high speed, a forward collision warning can prevent an accident. In some cases, vehicles have brake assist. This feature applies the brakes when an accident is imminent.
Studies show that most collisions are caused by human error, often by distracted driving. Car accidents are far too common. In 2021, the city of Oklahoma City alone saw 1,700 accidents causing 99 deaths.
These safety technologies can reduce accidents and save lives. Each vehicle manufacturer may have a unique blend of these features, so researching a favorite model is recommended before purchasing.
Environmental Safety Features
At times, your vehicle might encounter environmental challenges that make driving difficult. From bright lights to blinding rain, these conditions can lead to unsafe driving scenarios.
Undoubtedly, manufacturers have designed certain safety features with your comfort in mind. For instance, rain-sensing wipers automatically activate when the windshield becomes wet.
If you encounter fog or dusty conditions, adaptive headlights adjust to make your view as optimal as possible. Also, auto-dimming rear-view mirrors can sense bright headlights and adjust the reflection as necessary.
Anti-lock brakes and Traction Control
Anti-lock brakes have been mandatory features since 2000. If you press down hard on the brake, the system pumps the brakes so that you have steering control to avoid a collision.
As a sister feature, the traction control system activates when the vehicle slides or loses contact with the ground. With a combination of engine alterations and braking motions, traction control brings the car back into the driver’s control.
Driver Monitoring Systems
Driver monitoring systems, or DMS, use cameras and sensors to monitor the driver’s attentiveness. By monitoring head and eye movements, the systems can alert a driver with an alarm when they their eyes off the road.
These systems can prevent accidents caused by drowsy and distracted drivers. Some systems are even able to stop the car if the driver is inattentive for a period of time.
Autonomous Vehicles
While there is still some debate about autonomous vehicles, studies show that by eliminating driver-error, self-driving cars will be safer than human-driven cars.
While many of the safety features available on new cars have components of self-driving vehicles, fully autonomous vehicles are still rare.
Further research, development and regulation will likely bring more of these cars to our roads, potentially increasing safety for those who drive them as well as others along their route.
As more features become standardized each year, drivers can experience safer rides in the future. Simply familiarizing yourself with the concepts makes car buying easier at the lot.
In the end, any extra costs associated with the features can make a direct impact on your health and safety on the road.
