7 Vehicle Safety Features to Look for in Your Next Car

Jul 12,2018

If you are in the market for a new vehicle, there is certainly no shortage of options available. From compact cars to SUVs to pickup trucks, traditional gas vehicles and electric and hybrid options, consumers can choose from a host of vehicles these days.

Something important to consider during the car-buying process is safety technology. In the past few years, technological advancements in vehicles has been tremendous. Many of these technologies are projected to help prevent thousands of car accidents and save countless lives on the road.

Here are some of the top vehicle safety features to consider for your next vehicle purchase:

Lane-departure warning or lane-keep assist. Lane-departure warnings alert the driver if the vehicle is veering into another lane without the turn signal activated. This can help if a driver is losing focus due to fatigue or distraction. The lane-keep assist feature is an automation feature that will actually steer your vehicle back into the correct lane if it detects you drifting out of lane accidentally. While you should never rely on these features, they are helpful to have in emergency situations.
Electronic stability control (ESC). This feature helps drivers avoid serious accidents like rollover crashes. ESC helps drivers maintain control of the vehicle during extreme steering maneuvers—for example, when a driver has to countersteer after inaccurately navigating a curve in the road. In these situations, drivers often lose control of the vehicle and end up spinning out. In the worst scenarios, this can result in the vehicle running off the road and/or flipping over. ESC will stabilize the vehicle and keep it heading in the intended direction. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that between 2008 and 2010, ESC had saved more than 2,200 lives.
Automatic emergency braking (AEB). These systems use cameras and/or radar to detect a potential collision with vehicles and objects ahead. If the system detects a potential collision, it warns the driver to take corrective action. If the driver fails to take adequate action, the AEB system may automatically engage the brakes to avoid or minimize a collision. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that collision mitigation systems like AEB may help reduce crashes by as much as 20%, preventing 66,000 serious crashes and eliminating 879 fatal crashes per year.
Blind spot monitoring. Like the name suggests, these systems monitor your blind spots and warn you if you try to make a lane change or turn and another vehicle is in the way. An IIHS study showed that blind spot detection can reduce lane-change accidents by 14%.
Surround view (360-degree) parking camera. While traditional backup cameras are now a standard safety feature in all new vehicles, 360-degree parking cameras are a new option that provide even more assistance. These cameras provide a complete surrounding display of your vehicle, virtually eliminating blind spots. These cameras are helpful not only for backing up safely, but also for maneuvering in tight spaces and avoiding scrapes and dings.
Brake assist. This feature helps the driver come to a complete stop quickly in an emergency braking situation. According to the NHTSA, roughly half of drivers fail to press the brake fast or hard enough to make full use of the vehicle’s braking power when initiating an emergency stop. Brake assist recognizes the signs of an emergency braking situation and provides extra braking support to stop the vehicle more quickly. The NHTSA found that when brake assist engaged during an emergency stop, it reduced the stopped distance up to 10 feet.
Adaptive cruise control. This feature takes cruise control to another level by allowing you to choose a following distance. The system will increase or decrease your vehicle’s speed in order to maintain the chosen following distance. Some advanced systems will also stop your vehicle for you if they detect that traffic has come to a halt. They can then automatically return to the programmed speed and following distance once traffic starts moving again.

These technology systems can greatly improve your safety on the road. Be sure to thoroughly investigate the features available in the vehicle you are considering buying before making a new car purchase. If you want to know what safety features your current vehicle has, you can look them up on MyCarDoesWhat.org.

“Vehicle safety technology has made incredible strides in recent years. Consumers should carefully consider the safety features included when shopping for a new vehicle,” said Attorney Walter Clark, founder of Walter Clark Legal Group.

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the California personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured in an auto accident and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, El Centro, and Yucca Valley, and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.