Not too long ago, the only way you could tell if you had a flat or your tire pressure was low would have been to visually spot it before getting into the vehicle, a dangerous feeling of loss of control/loss of traction while driving or if the driver in the other lane was kind enough to yell “check your tires” at a red light.
Thankfully, that’s in the past and though we still need to check before driving off, we don’t have to worry about loss of steering control due to a low-pressure tire
As technology advances the number of car safety features has also grown with manufacturers building vehicles with more driver-assistance technologies to help reduce and minimize all forms of accidents.
Although these advanced safety features may cost a lot more than purchasing a vehicle with no available features, your safety is paramount and therefore a worthy investment.
According to a Carnegie Mellon University researcher, Corey Harper, he predicts that vehicle crash avoidance and car safety features could reduce crash frequency by about 3.5%. And the combination of blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and forward-collision warnings could collectively prevent up to 1.6 million crashes and 7200 fatal crashes each year.
To effectively use these features, you have to understand how they operate and how they can help you avoid accidents…
In the first part of our car safety features series, we looked at safety features that help prevent a forward collision. Click here in case you missed it
In this article, we will look at car safety features that help with braking, tire pressure, and anti-rollover. Note that some car safety features may appear in multiple articles because they assist in multiple areas of safety.
1. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
ESC prevents you from skidding and losing control of your vehicle in curves, emergency maneuvers, or sharp brakes by activating the brakes and stabilizing your vehicle helping you steer in the right direction. It reduces the risk of a rollover which is a dangerous vehicle accident, using sensors to detect where your vehicle is heading, steering wheel, and brakes, and if you are not going in the right direction ESC helps correct that. It also adjusts your speed and initiates the braking system to prevent a crash.
2. Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
ABS restores traction to the tires and helps the driver steer the vehicle in an emergency. Read up on ABS here.
3. Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
TPMS Monitors your tires’ pressure and warns you if any is underinflated or overinflated, helping to improve your fuel economy and preventing blowout. TPMS makes use of two sensors, direct sensors which is a small wireless device that measures tire pressure. The indirect sensors measure the wheel’s spin and alert you when your tire pressure drops below normal.
4. Temperature Warning System
This system alerts you about the temperature which can have an impact on your driving and road conditions if it is freezing. This feature is important for safe driving because if you know the weather conditions, you can avoid driving at night or on icy roads especially if you know your vehicles handling snowy conditions.
5. Automatic Emergency Braking
This is a car safety feature that makes use of sensors to stop or slow a vehicle before it hits an object in its path by quickly applying the brakes.
6. Hill Descent Control System
Hill descent control is a safety feature that keeps a vehicle at a certain speed while descending a hill or a decline with rough ground. It partners with your vehicle’s braking system to stop you from going past a specific speed. If your vehicle begins to speed up the hill descent control automatically applies the brakes.
7. Brake Assist
Brake assist adds extra braking power during quick stops. This feature detects when the driver is panic braking and applies maximum pressure to the brakes in response.
8. Hill Start Assist
Hill-start assists temporarily stop roll-back or rolling forward while switching between the brakes and accelerator when making a hill start. The system makes use of sensors in the vehicle to detect when the vehicle is on an incline and maintains pressure on the braking system. This allows for more time to switch between the brake and accelerator paddles giving the driver more control. This feature comes in handy on slippery surfaces.
9. Traction Control
Traction Control is a safety feature that allows your vehicle to take make use of the available traction on the road surface by stopping the wheels from spinning. It usually works in the background to help to prevent wheel over-spinning when driving on slippery surfaces this makes your driving smoother and helps you have control of your car.
Further Reading
- 5 Things to do to Restore Your Flooded Vehicle
- What You Need to Know About Hail Damaged Cars for Sale
- Car Safety Pt.1: Safety Features that Prevent Forward Collision
- Used Car Auctions: 10 Major Damage codes You May Find in Car Listings
- 5 Major Physical Damages to Look out for Before Buying a Used Car from Online Auction
Finally!
When choosing a vehicle you should always think about safety…
If you are wondering where you can purchase a vehicle with the necessary car safety features we’ve got you covered.
You don’t need to break your bank to own one – even with the necessary car safety features…
We have an inventory of more than 150k vehicles which is updated daily – no license required! You can start by signing up and chatting with us on our website for free.
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