Car Essentials: Safety

Safety features exist for one reason only – to keep the occupants of a vehicle from harm during an accident. As such, some safety features are absolutely essential, especially those that are required by law. Below, Unhaggle lists the most common safety features available, some of which are standard across the majority of modern cars and some of which are just “extras.”

This list is meant to provide guidance to car buyers who either wish to improve their vehicle’s safety or simply learn more about safety equipment in general.

Standard Features:

Seat Belts

A seat belt, also known as a safety belt, is the most widespread safety feature available to drivers and passengers. Every vehicle in Canada is required to include a seat belt for each occupant by law. As a result, the use of seat belts in Canada is NOT optional, and as such, every driver and passenger is obligated to wear one when situated inside a moving vehicle.

A seat belt’s purpose is to keep the occupant in their seat during a collision, which reduces the risk of them striking the vehicle’s interior, colliding with other passengers or being ejected from their seat altogether. Occupants who do not wear a seat belt are known to suffer more severe injuries or even death in car accidents.

Airbags

Just like seat belts, air bags are yet another standard feature available across all modern vehicles. They are known to help prevent injuries or even death in car accidents, especially in frontal collisions. An airbag is an inflatable device – similar to a balloon – that deploys in less than a second upon a serious collision.

There are several different types of airbags. Front airbags provide additional security over and above the occupant’s seat belt during a head-on collision, when the head and chest of a buckled up occupant can jolt forward and hit the steering wheel or dashboard, which is what a front airbag is designed to prevent. These airbags rarely deploy during rear-end collisions, rollovers or side impacts. When it comes to side impacts and rollovers, it is the job of side airbags to prevent them, by providing cushions between the occupants and various interior components, such as doors, windows, roof and so forth.

Anti-Lock Brakes

An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a setup that relies on electronic functions to stop the vehicle’s wheels from locking or not rotating when the brakes are jammed. This helps the driver keep their steering wheel under control, especially on rugged surfaces and wet roads. It also allows the driver to steer around road obstacles when jamming the brakes.

Normal non-ABS brakes, on the other hand, cause the front wheels to lock and take away steering control. So, while a non-ABS vehicle’s wheels lock, an ABS version allows for a shorter controlled stopping distance.

Anti-lock brakes have been proven to be at their most effective in winter, when roads are likely to be wet or slippery.

Electronic Stability Control

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a safety setup that helps the driver to retain control of their vehicle during sharp turns or on slippery roads. It applies the brakes to front and rear wheels individually and reduces extraneous engine power, as required, to correct under-steer or over-steer conditions. ESC is also in charge of all-speed control – since it can sense drive-wheel slip under acceleration and then brake the slipping wheel or wheels. In addition, it can reduce extraneous engine power to help the driver regain control of their vehicle.

The main purpose of ESC is to reduce the risk of roller, particularly in SUVs.

Traction Control

Traction Control (TC), also known as Acceleration Slip Regulation (ASR), is a system that helps prevent drive wheels from losing traction when the driver applies too much throttle and/or if the road surface cannot handle the amount of torque applied. So, every time a vehicle accelerates, TC senses slippage of the wheels and then adjusts the braking pressure to make sure there is as much contact between the road surface and tires as possible.

TC usually comes into effect on wet or slippery surfaces, when traction is greatly reduced. So, when the wheels begin to spin, the system automatically senses this and then almost instantly sends this data to the control unit. The latter device adjusts throttle input and applies braking to slow down the wheels, allowing the car to stick to the road and remain controllable.

Daytime Running Lights

A Daytime Running Lights (DRL) are safety lighting devices that are usually located on the front of a vehicle. DRLs switch on automatically when a vehicle is on the move, producing white, yellow or amber light that is supposed to increase visibility in daylight. These lights are relatively affordable and effective when it comes to stopping daytime collisions, since they make it easier to spot approaching vehicles from far away.

Premium Features:

Blind Spot Detection

Blind Spot Detection is a set of markers that appear on side and rearview mirrors in order to help drivers “detect” vehicles in blind spots. So, when a motorist turns on their turn signal while there is a vehicle in their blind spot, a sound or light is activated to warn them.

Back-Up Warning Systems

A Back-up Warning System is a camera or sensor located on the back of a vehicle that makes it easier to park and maneuver when going backwards. The main goal of back-up warning systems is to prevent deaths of young children since about 100 of them are killed every year. The number-one reason why back-up accidents happen is due to drivers’ failure to see a person, vehicle or object.

Forward Collision Warning (With Automatic Braking)

Forward Collision Warning is a system that works like a radar by detecting when a motorist is about to collide with a vehicle in front of them. If that is the case, then the system sounds an alarm or flashes lights to warn the driver. If the driver is unable to prevent a collision, then the system applies automatic brakes with increasing pressure to stop the accident. The system works in tandem with ABS to ensure that there is enough power to stop the vehicle.

Lane Departure Warning

Lane Departure Warning is a system that aims to keep drivers in the same lane, in case they accidentally begin drifting out. The system is usually located on or near the rearview mirror. It detects when a driver is about to leave their travel lane when they do not intend to do so – usually using the lack of a turn signal as the main indicator. The system alerts the driver by vibrating the steering wheel, producing a loud sound or emitting some form of visual warning. Some systems may even nudge the vehicle back into the lane.

Backup Camera

A backup camera is an optical instrument that allows the driver to see directly behind their vehicle to aid in backing up. The camera view is transmitted to the central display screen, which can be used in tandem with the rear-view mirror. The purpose of such a camera is to avoid backup collisions (which can be fatal) since it is impossible to see directly behind a vehicle without one. The instrument is also sometimes known as a “reversing camera” or “rear-view camera.”

Need more information? Be sure to visit the Unhaggle homepage or contact our customer service team if you have more questions.

Updated on March 26, 2013

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