Purchasing a vehicle? Read our blog for a list of safety features that may save your life!
Over the past 25 years in practice, I’ve had vast experience examining cars inside and out. Many of my clients were injured in car accidents, and some were hurt much more than they should’ve been because available safety features of the vehicles they were riding in failed or were not part of the original package when the vehicle was purchased.
To that end, while styling and reliability certainly play a role when I purchase a vehicle, the most important options are the safety features offered on the vehicle.
Here is a list of the 7 Safety Features employees of The Thomson Law Firm love:
- Adaptive Cruise Control- Also called Autonomous Cruise Control, radar cruise control and traffic-aware cruise control. This optional feature automatically alters the vehicle’s speed to ensure a safe traveling distance from cars in front of it.
- Automatic Emergency Braking– Also called Brake Assist or Collision Avoidance Systems. Automatic Emergency Braking uses radar detection to detect objects or other vehicles in front of your car. If your car is approaching the car in front of you too fast, the brakes will deploy to slow or stop the vehicle. AEB systems have been shown to reduce the number of rear-end crashes and their severity.
- Lane Departure Warning Systems -With many accidents occurring when drivers change lanes, lane departure systems are a safety feature whose time has come. These systems warn drivers who may have forgotten to check the blind spot when changing lanes, have fallen asleep and are drifting into another lane or distracted drivers who are leaving their lane.
- Back-up Cameras– Because this safety feature protects the most vulnerable among us it earns its place on this list. Back-up cameras, now standard on all new vehicles allow the driver to see behind the vehicle when the car is in reverse. Since trucks, vans, SUVs, and even cars have blind areas directly behind the vehicle, this feature literally saves lives every day. Have an older truck or SUV? Purchase an aftermarket back-up camera for as little $100.
- Pedestrian Detection– This alert system warns drivers with flashing lights and sound alarms when a pedestrian crosses in front of the vehicle. As I have handled many pedestrian injury cases, I applaud the implementation of this feature.
- Driver Alert Control (Fatigue Detection)-Available on some Ford and Volvo models, the Driver Alert Control is intended to alert fatigued or distracted drivers that it is time to take a break from driving. The system monitors driving behavior and records whether the car is drifting in and out of lanes, slowing or speeding up erratically or simply not being driven in a consistently safe manner.
- Adaptive Headlights-This feature is especially useful for rural nighttime driving. Many rural roads in Virginia have twists, turns, and cliffs. Adaptive headlights actually shine the light beam in the direction the vehicle is headed, allowing the driver better visibility.
As we start to enter the era of intelligent vehicles and see many more automatic features, I think it is prudent to remember that ultimately, the driver of the vehicle must remain alert and #thinkaboutdriving at all times. After all, most car accidents are caused by human error.
If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault, call The Thomson Law Firm today (540) 777-4900 for a FREE consultation.
