There are several things to keep in mind when shopping for a family car, including cost, space, entertainment features, kid-friendly special features, off-road features, and most importantly, safety features. Luckily, today’s cars are packed with high-tech safety features to help protect you and your family on the roads. Some of these safety features come standard, while a few remain optional. Here are some of the safety features to look out for when shopping for a family car:
Stability Control and Anti-lock Brakes
Anti-lock brakes are meant to prevent wheels from locking up, especially during heavy braking. This reduces the risk of skidding and helps retain steering control. Stability control, on the other hand, kicks in when you lose control of the car. It monitors the throttle, steering, and braking to ensure the vehicle is driving on the intended path. It avoids skidding and fish-tailing, allowing things to get back under control. Both of these safety features help prevent dangerous accidents, especially on slippery roads.
Reversing Camera
Reversing cameras provide additional visibility by giving you a clear view of the area behind the car when reversing. Also, kids and animals are often at risk of being hit or run over when the car is backing out of a driveway or parking spot. This feature provides up to 180-degree backward views, which prevents such accidents. Plus, it can help if you regularly perform tight parking maneuvers.
Automatic/Adaptive Cruise Control
Most people use family cars to go on road trips, but you can also use this lease guide to get one. Anyone who’s driven for such long hours knows how reaction time can sometimes be delayed due to fatigue. This safety feature automatically adjusts your car’s speed, thereby maintaining a safe distance between you and the car ahead of you. It can also come in handy during heavy traffic. Keep in mind that adaptive cruise control doesn’t drive the car by itself, rather, it only provides you with some help.
Blind-spot Assist
First off, every car has a blind spot. Blind-spot assist alerts you by a chime or informational lights of objects in your blind spot. Think of the Oops! moments you’ve had when you start to change lanes, only to realize there’s already another car in the space you intend to occupy. Such moments endanger you loved ones’ lives as they can easily lead to road accidents.
Seat Belts and Child Safety
Older cars have lap seat belts and lap sash belts for restraints. However, these seat belts can often be too tight and even exert a lot of force on the kids when you brake sharply. Parents should look for ISOFIX technology when choosing car seat fitting systems. It gives you the quickest, easiest, and safest way to correctly fit your child’s car seat or baby capsule, without using a seat belt. It also has indicators that show if you’ve fitted the car seat correctly.
