Being a good, cautious driver is not enough to fully prevent all car accidents. Unfortunately, there’s no way of anticipating or preventing crashes that happen out of someone else’s negligence, which is why it’s very important to use the safety devices that come with your car.
Now, some cars are more equipped than others in terms of safety measures, and for those of you who want to improve the safety of their vehicle, here is what to watch for this year.
Emergency Braking System
This safety system is a lifesaver, automatically applying the brakes when an object is crossing your car’s trajectory.
Forward Collision Warning
This system can help reduce the damage in the case of a frontal collision by giving the driver a warning when a collision may be imminent. In some cases, the driver has enough time to react and to avoid a much worse outcome.
Blindspot Warning
Cars coming from the blind spot when you are engaging in a maneuver often caused accidents, which is why this system came to aid. It warns the driver with audio and visual notifications that a vehicle is along their blindspot.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
When a car approaches from behind or starts crossing the lane markings, the driver gets some audible, visual and even tactile notifications about it.
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
As its name indicates, this system is designed to keep the car in its lane by giving steering input or applying the brakes when the car starts drifting away from the lane.
Pedestrian Detection Systems
One of the newest safety features on new car models is the pedestrian detection system, which uses advanced sensors to detect human movement near or on the path of the car. Some systems may apply the brakes if a pedestrian is detected, but they mostly just warn the driver about a potential collision.
Automatic High Beams
This system automatically switches between high and low beams, depending on the ongoing traffic, so you don’t have to do it manually. This helps you maximize the high beams to have good visibility during night driving but also avoids putting the other drivers in danger by forgetting to switch to the low beams in time.
Rear Cross-Traffic Warning
This function tells you if a moving object is expected to cross your trajectory while you are in reverse.
Look for These Safety Features
Having these car-assisted safety features is most likely going to become a standard for all drivers, but for now, it is an option that may add to the price of new cars. Choosing this type of technology is worth it, according to the statistics showing how much they actually reduce the likeliness of accidents.
If in spite of all precautions, you’ve been hit by another driver, then you should file for compensation and get the cost of your medical treatment cover. Get in touch with a St. Louis car accident attorney to maximize your chances of getting a fair settlement.