There are all kinds of things that you could potentially look for if you’re on the hunt for a new car. You might keep an eye out for the best sound system. Maybe you’re more interested in fuel economy, or how much power is under the hood.
What’s undeniable, though, is that car companies have introduced several new safety features in recent years, and you should look for them if you’re going to pay top dollar for a brand-new vehicle. Let’s look at some of those right now.
Tire Pressure Monitoring
There are a couple of reasons to keep your tire pressure at the recommended level, whether you’re sporting some of the best performance wheels that are out there or you have something more basic.
It makes a tire puncture less likely
It allows you to get the best fuel economy
Tire pressure monitoring exists now, and several vehicles feature it. You can get it with several top-of-the-line cars, trucks, and SUVs.
It keeps track of the air pressure level in all four of your tires. If it drops below the optimal level in any of them, then a dashboard light comes on. You’ll even get an audible alarm in some vehicles, reminding you to get to a filling station as soon as possible.
Rear-View Camera
When you’re backing up, you can’t always be sure to see everything passing by, including:
Children
Animals
Bikes
That’s where a rear-view camera comes in. Rear-view cameras are not the same thing as backup cameras. Where backup cameras have a limited vision scope, the rear-view camera comes with a wide-angle lens.
It makes a real difference. You’ll be able to have a much wider view of what’s behind you, and you can prevent lots of accidents that way.
Lane Departure Warning
If you have a teenager who is just learning to drive, then it can be a little nerve-wracking when you think about them hitting the highway for the first time. You’ll feel a lot better about things if you know that the manufacturer has equipped the vehicle with lane departure warning.
This system uses lasers and video cameras, which keep track of the marks on the road in real-time. The technology sees when the vehicle starts to move out of its lane without signaling. Depending on which car company it is, the driver will get an alert in the form of a vibrating seat, vibrating steering wheel, or a combination of an alarm and the dashboard lighting up.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control is something that is coming standard with more cars, trucks, and SUVs these days. Car companies sometimes refer to it as ACC, and it uses radar-sensing technology to keep you a safe distance from the vehicle that’s in front of you when you put on cruise control.
To enjoy it, first, you input the maximum speed that you want for the car. Then, the radar system kicks in and guides the vehicle along, keeping it a distance from the vehicle in front of you so that you’re never in any danger. If this feature senses that a collision will occur, then the automatic emergency braking system will kick in.
Automatic Emergency Braking
That brings us to the next safety feature that is worth knowing about, automatic emergency braking. A frequent accident that occurs is the fender bender when you stop paying attention to the road ahead for a moment. You can smack into the vehicle in front of you, causing whiplash or other injuries.
AEB systems present the perfect solution. An alarm will sound if it detects that your speed is sufficient that you could ram the car in front of you. If that is not enough to get your attention in time, it will automatically engage the brakes.
Even if a collision still occurs, the crash’s severity will be much less because the emergency braking system reacted before you did. That’s good news for your health, and also your insurance cost.
Of course, while all of these are great innovations, you also need to factor in the benefits of being a responsible driver. If you’re careful to keep your eyes on the road at all times and not let anything distract you, you’ll be in much better shape to avoid accidents.
Look for these safety features as you shop for a new car, and always obey any traffic laws that apply to your situation.
