Saturday 8 February 2020

Car Safety

Car safety is an important thing to consider when choosing a car. Car insurance companies also view car safety as an important factor that affects your premium. So if you want to get cheap auto insurance, you should check car insurance ratings before purchasing your next vehicle.

Modern cars are becoming safer with each generation, as safety standards get more strict and car buyers become more aware of car safety. Manufacturers are improving virtually every aspect of their models to make cars better at avoiding accidents and at preventing driver and passengers from being injured in case accident does occur. The new trend in automobile safety is to design cars that are safer for pedestrians too.

Car Safety Systemscar safety systems

Car safety systems or features are very important because every motorist rely on such systems whenever the car is driven on the road.  The life and well being of the motorist and passengers may depend on these safety systems.  It does not matter if the car you are driving is brand new, relatively new or used and old.  What matters is that the car owners and drivers know what safety systems are installed in their cars and that they should also make sure that each and every component of the car’s safety systems are in good working order.


Enumerated below are some of the popular safety features installed in most modern cars today.  These individual features can complement one another and helps prevent or at least reduce any bodily injury or property damage that the motorist and passengers may sustain in the event of a vehicular accident or collision.

1. Seat Belts – Vehicular collisions always presents the risks of bodily injury to the driver and passengers.  Depending on the force of the collision, a person can be thrown out of the car or collide with the different objects inside the car.  To help prevent such an event from occurring, seat belts have been employed.  This common car safety features will prevent the person from being thrown out of the car even if the force of the collision is quite strong.  Seat belts also lower the person’s risk of hitting the steering wheel, windows or dashboard.  The latest seat belts also offer the following options for increased safety and comfort of the user.

– Belts that are adjustable- Wearing a seat belt could be uncomfortable at times for many people which in turn discourage them to buckle up when they drive.  To make the wearing of seat belts more comfortable, seat belts today now have shoulder straps that could be adjusted to a position that will comfortably fit the body size of the person.

– Pretensioners in seat belts – As the word suggests, pretensioners are devices that preemptively keeps the user from lunging forward during a crash by tightening the belt.  During the vehicular collision, sensors within the car activate the pretensioner which in turn usually uses explosive gas to retract the seat belt.

– Energy management in seat belts – a person wearing a seat belt during a collision can receive a strong or severe impact on the chest area which may lead to bodily injury.  To prevent this particular concentration of energy to a particular body part, newer seat belts have an added feature for this. The shoulder belt retractors have built-in load limiters designed to let the seat belt to extend incrementally.

– Rear seat lap or shoulder belts for children – Some cars are now equipped with rear seat laps or shoulder belt which is usually placed at the center to improve the safety of children in case of vehicular accidents or collisions.2. Inflatable Air Bags – Virtually every new car coming out today are equipped with air bags.  Just like seat belts, air bags are usually included as part of the standard car safety systems.  Depending on the various variables present during a crash or collision, air bags can prevent the person inside the car from hitting the various parts and objects inside the car.  These parts and objects include the windshield, dashboard or steering wheel.  Air bags installed in the sides of the car can save a person from hitting door or any outside object that can come in.

3. Safety features that protect the head from injury – Placed under the trim of a car’s interior are foams or other energy absorbing materials which can help save the occupant from head injuries in the event that the head hits the car’s upper interior as result of a collision or crash.  There is also head air bags installed in many cars today.  These head air bags either deploy in side impact collisions or rollovers.

4. Car seats with head restraints – Many new cars today have seat extensions which limit the movement of the occupant’s head in the event of a rear impact collision or crash.  These restraints can be adjusted manually, automatically or dynamically.  So far, the head restraints that could offer the best head protection are the dynamic model.

5. Anti-lock brake system or ABS – this particular braking system helps avoid the car’s wheels from locking during the so called “panic breaking” moment which will enable the motorist to have most of the car’s steering control and avoid an impending crash or collision.  However, drivers must not rely too much on the ABS in saving them from collisions or crashes because its effectiveness will depend on how fast and aggressive your driving is.  Most if not all cars today are equipped with four-wheel ABS.  Trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles or SUVs can either be equipped with two or four-wheel ABS.  Basically a two-wheel ABS controls the only rear wheels of a vehicle.  A four-wheel ABS controls both the front and rear wheels of the vehicle.

A number of ABS models are added with break assist.  This additional feature acts as sensor by boosting the needed power based on the force as well as speed of the motorist in hitting the breaks.  Depending on the situation ABS equipped with break assist can save cars from collisions or crashes by reducing the crucial time needed to activate the ABS.

6. Traction control system – Traction control aids in the maintenance on the stability of the vehicle when excess power is applied.  Basically, the system automatically regulates the amount of power released by the car’s engines.  The system can put break pressure on any of the vehicle’s wheels when accelerating.  Many vehicles with four-wheel ABS are also equipped with traction control system.

7.  All-wheel drive feature – To get the most traction, the all-wheel drive spreads the power to all vehicles’ wheels.  Combined with a traction control system and ABS, the all-wheel drive gives the driver the best stable car possible and allows the motorist to quickly steer the vehicle away from a collision or crash.

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