Protective features
THANKS to a multitude of safety technologies developed over the years, the cars of today are much, much safer. But it is not enough to recognize that they exist; a sensible car owner should know what they are and how they work. Here’s a rundown of some of the safety features many new vehicles possess, and the kinds of protection they offer.
SEATBELTS
According to Consumer Reports, an American publication providing product reviews, the seat belt is “arguably the single most important piece of safety equipment.” It has been improved with additional features, making it more effective. One of these is a set of seat belt pretensioners that retracts the belts right away to take up the slack during a frontal impact. “This also helps position occupants properly to take full advantage of a deploying air bag,” Consumer Reports said. There are also force limiters, which serve as a companion to pretensioners, that manage the force the shoulder belt builds up on the occupant’s chest.
AIR BAGS
Air bags have been a standard safety feature in cars for a long time now. The bags get triggered when crash sensors connected to an onboard computer detect a frontal collision. “The bags inflate in a few milliseconds — the blink of an eye — then immediately start deflating,” Con sume r Repor t s sa id. According to Which, a British Web site that reviews and rates products and services, there are dual- stage air bags equipped with sensors that can trigger varying responses to crashes of varying severities. “For example, they inflate less rapidly in lower severity impacts, reducing the chance of airbag- related injuries, while still cushioning the impact,” the site said.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL
Electronic stability control ( ESC), Which said, is “one of the most important developments in vehicle safety.” ESC reduces the power of engine and can operate individual breaks in the event that the car loses stability or skids as a result of a driver’s inputs. “Independent studies have shown that ESC could prevent up to a third of all road accidents,” the site said. This feature is beneficial when driving top-heavy vehicles such as sport- utilities and pickups, Consumer Reports said, helping keep the vehicles out of situations where they could roll over. The publication’s auto experts highly recommend stability control, calling it “a proven life saver.”
ANTILOCK BRAKES
On slippery surfaces, sliding the front tires makes it impossible to
steer, Consumer Reports said. “ABS prevents this from happening by using sensors at each wheel and a computer that maximizes braking action at each individual wheel to prevent lock-up.” Drivers are given the ability to retain steering control while braking so that the car can be maneuvered around an obstacle if necessary. The publication said
some drivers who are not familiar with the brakes might be alarmed by the pulsing sensation conveyed through the brake pedal and the chattering at the wheels. “The trick is to push hard on the pedal and let the system do its job,” it said.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Using lasers, radar, cameras or a combination of the aforementioned, adaptive cruise maintains a constant distance between a
car and a car ahead of it. “If highway traffic slows, some systems will bring the car to a complete stop and automatically come back to speed when traffic gets going again, allowing the driver to do little more than pay attention and steer,” Consumer Reports said, adding that there are some vehicles fitted with a lane- keeping assistant that also allows the car to stay within lane markings.