Common Car Safety Features 

With all the newest innovations and technology being added to cars, it can be difficult to keep track of what they come equipped with. Here are some of the most common car safety features, and how they help drivers stay safe! 

1. Blind spot monitoring (BSM)
   

   This feature can be presented in a variety of ways, but its purpose is to warn you of vehicles or objects in your blind spot you may have missed. Typically, the side-mirrors will have a sensor that lights up when an object is detected. Most cars also give an additional warning, such as a sound or shaking wheel, if you try to merge into the direction of the detected object. 

2. Lane departure warning (LDW)
   

   Cars now have sensors to keep you from drifting out of your lane. Although we never intend to, we may become distracted and slowly veer off course. Once the car detects this, it will display a warning on the dashboard, likely accompanied by a warning sound to bring your attention back to the road. 

3. Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
   

   As much as we try paying attention to the road, sudden obstacles may appear in front of us. Vehicles can detect objects in front & behind themselves in order to brake quickly to avoid a collision. This applies to other vehicles, stationary objects, or people and animals that suddenly end up near your vehicle. 

4. Automatic windshield wipers
   

   Although it may seem simple, this feature helps drivers focus on the road during wet conditions. Rather than constantly adjusting the speed of your wipers to match the rainfall, you can enable a setting that adjusts their speed based on rain detection and speed. Vehicles with this feature typically have a black patterned section on the windshield that detects rainfall intensity. 

5. Head’s up display
   

   This feature displays a hologram on the windshield for drivers, usually with the current MPH and/or navigation information. This way, drivers can keep their eyes and focus on the road while getting the information they need. If an issue occurs, warning lights will also flash on the hologram to notify the driver. 

6. Rear-seat occupant warning
   

   Although this feature is still working its way into more vehicles, it has become relatively common. When turning off the car, sensors will detect whether or not there are passengers present in the back seats. Another method detects whether or not the back doors were opened prior to or during the latest drive. If a person or animal is detected, the driver will be notified to avoid unnecessary deaths from children being trapped in vehicles. 

Now that you know some common safety features, find out which ones your car has! Use them to stay safe, and always remember to drive carefully! And in case of emergencies, make sure you have your resqme® on hand to cut through seatbelts and break a window!