Gone are the days when car safety features were only limited to an ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), a couple of airbags, and seatbelts. Car manufactures these days provide a variety of features to ensure the safety of every passenger in the vehicle. Not only do these features keep the passengers safe, but they also offer maximum protection to the car’s physical attributes. It has also been observed that improving car safety features has led to a dramatically lowered number of road fatalities and the risk of injuries. Most of the buyers today don’t mind spending close to or more than $100 on car safety. Having a knowledge of the safety features of a potential new car always comes in handy while evaluating it.

• Airbags
  These have been a standard feature on all new cars since the late 1990s. Airbags are connected to the crash sensors which are connected to an onboard computer. When this computer detects a frontal collision, they trigger frontal airbags to inflate and avoid the passenger and driver’s head from banging on the dashboard or steering wheel. These airbags inflate in a few milliseconds and they immediately start deflating on impact. Airbags for the passengers in the back seat are installed behind the driver and pillion seats. Some cars also provide side airbags to protect the torso from impact.
• Antilock Braking System (ABS)
  The hard braking feature made it almost impossible to steer and stop the car on a collision course. As a result, antilock braking systems were developed. This safety feature helped in slowing down the car gradually and applying brakes without steering the car out of control. ABS was a revolutionary upgrade in the car safety features as it helped in reducing fatal car collisions on freeways and highways.
  
• Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
  It is a feature that more and more drivers look for when purchasing a new vehicle. If a car is equipped with Automatic Emergency Braking System and senses a potential collision, it will start braking for you if you fail to react in time. A recent data recorded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed a 50% decline in rear-end collisions in cars that have AEB systems under their hood.
• Lane keeping or lane departure warning system
  These are actually two different safety features but are used to ensure that the car does not go off track. While lane departure sounds a warning or vibrates your seat or steering wheel, lane keeping gently steers you back in your lane. However, if the lane dividing demarcation on the road is faded, these systems can be turned off.
• Rear-view camera
  The safety feature has two main purposes; it gives the driver a clear, wide angle view of what’s behind their vehicle. Secondly, it protects children and animals from being accidentally hit or run over. The rear-view cameras typically provide 180-degree back views.
• Blind spot detection
  This safety feature lets you see what’s behind your car. It picks up what your car’s rear-view mirrors might have missed. The system also warns other vehicles that are approaching your vehicle by shining small, orange, or yellow lights in its side-view mirrors. This feature can be helpful during foggy days when road visibility is less than 10 meters or in poorly lit roads during the night.