Protective,
BLIND SPOT WARNING
Through blind spot warning, the likelihood of an accident when changing lanes is reduced by alerting drivers to unseen adjacent vehicles, Which said. “This is normally done via a light in the door mirror, which is backed up by an audible alert should the driver not see it and make an attempt to change lane.” Consumer Reports added that more advanced blind spot warning systems are capable of braking or steering the vehicle back towards the center of the lane.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
Active Head Restraints, Consumer Reports said, move up and down in a rear crash, cradling the head and absorbing energy to mitigate injury resulting from whiplash. Which said that a car’s head restraints should be raised high enough to suit drivers and passengers of all heights, with the top of the head restraint sitting level with the top of a person’s head, and the head being no more than an inch away from the restraint when the occupant is sitting.
TIRE-PRESSURE MONITORS
“Underinflated tires can hurt handling and fuel economy. They can even lead to a blowout as underinflated tires are more susceptible to damage and wear. A tire can lose air through the rubber and does so slowly so that many drivers don’t notice,” Consumer Reports said. Tire- monitoring pressure systems are there to help. Which said two basic types exist — direct and indirect pressure monitoring systems. The former makes use of a sensor inside each tire to measure pressure and send signal to the driver via a warning on a dashboard. The latter use anti-lock brake system sensors to monitor wheel speed. —