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Last Updated on December 17, 2023
Road safety is an important part of every driver’s life because of the serious implications where it’s lacking. This can be seen from the fact that 70% of the victims of a car accident are inside the car. Clearly, it’s important to do all within your power to improve your safety on the road and give you better odds of getting back home safely. This includes buying a vehicle with features that can improve your safety, and here are some of these features.
Airbags and Seatbelts
To begin with, the basics. Every single car on every road should have these two systems in place and in working shape. That’s because, even if you follow all the safety measures while driving, you can’t control the actions taken by other drivers. This means that it’s important to know that come what may, you have a reasonable chance of staying safe.
Technology has long overtaken the initial standard airbag design, so it’s good to try and get a vehicle that has something that’s considerably more advanced. This may take the form of adaptive front airbags and side-impact airbags, which help keep you safe and also take away the risk of the airbag itself injuring you. Next, it’s good to get a vehicle that rings a loud alarm if anyone in the vehicle isn’t wearing their seat belt. These seatbelts should also have pre-tensioners to lower their chances of causing injury in case of hard and sudden braking.
Automation
Automation can do a lot to fill the gaps left by human judgment, and that’s why this is the other feature of a vehicle that can help keep you safe on the road. Basic automation includes things like adaptive cruise control and blind spot sensors. While there are varying levels of automation that can be found in vehicles, it’s best to get a vehicle with at least basic automation rather than one with none at all.
If you buy a modern vehicle, this is something that’s more or less a part of the factory setup. Keep in mind that a manual transmission is actually the oldest transmission type that can be found in modern vehicles, according to Toyota. That said, it’s safe to say that vehicles with automatic transmission will typically have a safe level of automation, to which you could add aftermarket repairs if you choose.
Drowsiness Detectors
Driver error is a major cause of most road accidents. This makes it a good idea to get a vehicle that sounds an alarm in case the driver is at high risk of causing an accident, such as if they’re drowsy. This is an important aspect to consider when you think about the fact that about 36% of all traffic fatalities in 2018 in Alaska were caused by drivers impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. On this note, you should never attempt to drive if you’ve had a drink, no matter how sober and alert you may feel. In Oklahoma, DUI offenses are taken very seriously and can lead to severe penalties. If you find yourself in such a situation, explore the services offered by Kania Law specializing in DUI cases.
Antilock Brakes
Last but not least, antilock brakes can help make a vehicle considerably safer. That’s because they use sensors to maximize braking power and give the driver a chance to maintain control of their vehicle while braking. This is a helpful feature as it ensures that you can maneuver effectively around an obstacle that you suddenly come up against. Modern vehicles have an additional safety feature, which is brake assist. This feature provides a boost to braking when the brake is applied quickly, depending on the speed of the vehicle as well as the distance to the vehicle ahead.
These features are some of the must-haves to keep an eye out for when shopping for a new car. They can help improve your safety considerably, therefore keeping not just you but other road users safe. Take time to find a vehicle that has all of them so that you don’t have to spend money getting them installed after you buy a car, which might turn out to be incompatible with some of the safety features you need.
