While engine performance or glitzy add-on features might be more seductive when shopping for a new car, the safety profile of a prospective purchase could mean the difference between life and death for you or your loved ones.
Superb safety features—as tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—are a must-have for any family vehicle. Here are the top safety features you should look for if you are hauling around precious cargo.
Rear Vision Camera
Backing up is one of the most perilous activities related to driving because our vision is obstructed by the vehicle itself. There is a blind spot in the rear of each vehicle that a driver simply can’t see with mirrors.
That’s where a rear vision camera comes in handy. By showing a screen display near the console of what is behind the car, you can avoid accidents while leaving your driveaway or parallel parking. This is especially important if you’re likely to have small kids running around your car or driveway.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control is smart cruise control technology that uses sensors to detect cars or other vehicles in the roadway ahead and adjusts your car’s speed accordingly to avoid a collision. This grants you some extra piece of mind while on the road.
Automatic Parking
Automatic parking may be one of the most convenient safety features that is becoming common in new cars. What many people don’t realize is that a high proportion of traffic accidents occur at extremely low speeds, often while attempting to park.
With an automatic parking feature, the driver just needs to press a button. The car will then handle all of the steering on its own using its cameras and sensors. All that the driver has to do is manage the brakes and gas.
Lane Departure Warning System
Maintaining or changing lanes is one of the more dangerous activities that a driver must perform. If you’re on the highway, you’ll be doing both of these at high rates of speed. On these long drives, it’s easy to doze off or become so distracted that you start to unintentionally drift from your lane. Alternatively, you might miss an approaching car in your blind spot as you try to change lanes.
A lane departure warning system alerts you if you are drifting out of your lane and potentially into an accident. The warning usually either comes in visual form on the console or via a shaking steering wheel.
These days, many cars come standard with adaptive cruise control, rear vision camera, high-definition surround vision, rear park assist, and other critical safety features. When you’re looking at Chevrolet cars for sale or other types of cars, make sure to look for these with high safety ratings and plenty of safety features.
Although this is not an exhaustive list of all the ideal safety features in a new family car, these are some of the essentials. Protect your family by insisting that your next vehicle has most, if not all, of these life-saving features.