5 Car Safety Features You Might Not Be Using

Automobile manufacturers in the U.S. and elsewhere have been highly focused on creating and deploying more advanced safety features in their vehicles. You should take full advantage of all of the safety features available to you.

Check out these five features that may a big difference in protecting you and your family:

1. Lane departure systems
A somewhat new – but increasingly common – safety feature, lane departure systems use a camera to alert drivers when they drift out of their lane. If your car doesn’t already have a lane departure system, a 2014 Consumer Reports article states that anyone can purchase one of these systems for their existing vehicles at a low price. The most advanced systems cost roughly $1,100 and need to be installed by a professional. Once you have the feature, activate it to ensure that you are indeed alerted when you begin to drift, preventing accidents in the process.

2. Forward collision warning
My Car Does What, a nonprofit organization devoted to consumer education for automobiles, notes forward collision warning systems generally use a radar to scan the area ahead of the vehicle while in motion. It will then alert the driver should another car or road block present itself. Nowadays, many of these systems will actually brake for the driver if she or he does not first.

3. Pedestrian detection
Pedestrian detection systems are among the newest safety features and have the ability to stop the car should a person be in the road ahead. True Car, an automobile publication, states drivers will need to have this system activated, and should be prepared for it to kick in when a distracted pedestrian gets in their path. Many car models that came out after 2014 have these systems, so make sure yours is turned on.  Read More