Buying a car? Top 15 safety features to look for

If not all, most of us understand the importance of safety. That’s why we often hear the reminder “safety first” from our family, friends and colleagues.

But the question is, when it comes to buying a car, do we really put safety first?

According to the 2014 Initial Quality Studies by J.D. Power, a global marketing research company, safety comes 7th in the top-10 reasons why car buyers choose a specific car model.

So if you are buying a car this year or in the near future, and you want to know what safety features you should look for, this article is a good place to start.

The Asean New Cars Assessment Programme (Asean NCAP), the leading 3^rd party/independent car safety rating system, has listed on their website car safety features different cars must and can have. These are the features that you should be familiar with when choosing a car brand and model to ensure that you and your family have a safe journey every time.

5 Must Have Car Safety Features

• The Airbags

When deployed in a crash, airbags significantly reduce the chance of death or serious injury. Consumers should look for front, side, curtain and knee airbags for maximum safety.

• The Seatbelts

All occupants should wear retractable three-point sash style seat belts with pre-tensioner technology that helps prevent or manage the forces of impact during a crash. Lap only belts are less safe.

• Crumple Zones

The crumple zones will absorb much of the initial impact before any force is exerted on the passenger area of the car. Crumple zones are usually made from carbon re-enforced plastic composites. They can absorb 6 to 12 times the energy compared to steel as they get crushed.

• Structural Integrity

How the shell of a vehicle withstands and channels crash forces away from passengers varies substantially from one car brand to another. In a vehicle with sound structural integrity, most of the crash energy is absorbed and dissipated through the vehicle itself, rather than its occupants. The passenger compartment will also keep its shape.

• Antilock Braking Systems (ABS)

Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) prevent the wheels of a vehicle locking as brake pedal pressure is applied - often suddenly in an emergency or at a short stopping distance. This enables the driver to retain steering control, preventing skidding and loss of traction. ABS is particularly useful on loose surfaces or in wet conditions.

Built-In car safety features like airbags, seabelts and crumple zones all provide protection during an accident. But with new technological advances we now have active car safety features so you can prevent an accident.

10 Active Car Safety Features (to prevent accidents)

Approximately 90% of crashes involve some form of human error. That’s why Safety Assist Technologies (SAT) are active safety features, generally automated, which can prevent a crash.

• Following Distance Warning

When you are driving and your car is too close to another car in front, the following distance warning system will warn you that your distance is too close.

• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)

If you are about to crash into an object in front of you and you didn’t step on the brakes to stop your car, AEB systems will automatically stop your car in order to avoid or minimize the severity of an accident.

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

If you are entering a sharp curve or turning into a corner, the ESC system detects if a vehicle is about to lose traction, adjusting the braking of individual wheels to maintain vehicle stability.

• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)

When cars are present but not visible in your side and rear mirrors, don’t worry because the BSM system monitors your “blind spots” in the left and right lanes and warns you if a vehicle is present through either a visual or audible alarm or vibration of the steering wheel.

• Intersection Collision Warning/ Intersection Movement Assist (IMA)

When you are crossing an intersection, collision warning systems use radar systems or similar to detect if vehicles are approaching from the sides and alert you to avoid a potential collision.

• Fatigue Reminder

Whether you are driving through the country side or in the city for hours, a fatigue reminder system monitors the length of continuous driving (trip timer) and encourages the driver to take a rest through visual alert messages which are displayed to the driver.

• Adaptive Front Lighting Systems

When you are entering a sharp curve, turning a corner or going up and down a hill, adaptive front lighting systems are headlights that adjust their direction to focus light on the road path at night time or in poorly lit conditions.

• Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)

When you brake hard suddenly due to an emergency, ESS systems alert vehicles behind by flashing the car's hazard lights, signaling to them that you applied severe braking.

• Alcohol/Drug Ignition Interlock

Put simply, you can’t start the ignition of your car unless you pass the alcohol breath test.

• • Alcohol/Drug Ignition Interlock

  (TPM)

TPM systems use sensors to check if your tires’ pressure drops below a designated level or if they have possible air leaks or are flat already.