1. Airbags
2. Anti-lock brakes (ABS)
3. Safety-belt features
4. LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)
5. Electronic stability control
Our car safety features guide includes a history of automotive safety as well as a thorough list of modern automotive safety features. For decades, automakers fought tooth and nail to keep safety features hidden from the general public's view. Seatbelts, for example, have been around since the 1930s but did not become popular until the early 1960s. For years, carmakers refused to include them, thinking that seatbelts would send a bad safety message. Automobile manufacturers nowadays are more likely to promote safety features such as fuel economy, technology, or performance. How quickly things have changed To skip ahead in the storey, use the jump links below.
Airbags have been around for decades, and most new automobiles are equipped with multiple airbags to protect the driver and passengers in the event of a collision. Airbags have come a long way in terms of protection since they were declared a legal necessity in 1998, and they now assist in saving hundreds of lives every year in traffic accidents. Modern airbags rely on sensors that detect collisions to the front, side, or rear of the vehicle and inflate in a millisecond — literally the blink of an eye. Airbags come in a variety of configurations, including adaptive, dual-stage, and curtain, but curtain airbags are the most successful in keeping passengers safe in an accident because they do a good job of keeping people in position to prevent head injuries.
Before anti-lock brakes were invented, it was all too easy to lock up the wheels during heavy braking. It's tough to steer when the front tyres are sliding, especially on slick surfaces. ABS avoids wheel lock-up by utilising sensors at each wheel and a computer that maximises braking action at each individual wheel. If necessary, ABS allows the driver to maintain steering control while braking, allowing the vehicle to be guided around an impediment. Don't be concerned. This is the system that applies the brakes quickly to provide you with the most force and control. The key is to keep your foot firmly planted on the pedal while allowing the system to take care of the rest.
While the seatbelt is unquestionably the most crucial piece of safety equipment, additional features help seatbelts perform better. During a frontal collision, seatbelt pretensioners rapidly retract the belts to take up the slack. This also aids in the right positioning of people in order to maximise the effectiveness of a deployed air bag. Force limiters, which work in tandem with pretensioners, control the amount of force that the shoulder belt exerts on the occupant's chest. Force limiters let the belt play back out a little after the pretensioners tighten it to lessen the force.
To make child-seat installation easier and safer, all vehicles must now feature the LATCH system. For LATCH-compatible child safety seats, the system has built-in lower anchors and top-tether attachment hooks. The LATCH system was created to encourage the adoption of child restraints by making installation easier and removing the obstacles and incompatibilities that come with safety-belt installation. However, we've discovered that the LATCH mechanism is difficult to use correctly in a lot of automobiles and trucks, so test installing a seat before purchasing a new kid's seat. For advice on fit and compatibility, go over our findings from the road test.
Electronic stability control (ESC) is a step beyond traction control. During a turn, this system assists in keeping the vehicle on its intended route to avoid sliding or skidding. It detects wheel speed, steering angle, sideways motion, and yaw using a computer coupled to a number of sensors (rotation). If the vehicle deviates from the driver's intended path, the stability-control system applies temporary brakes to one or more wheels and, depending on the system, decreases engine power to bring the vehicle back on track. ESC is especially useful in tall, top-heavy cars such as sport-utilities and pickup trucks, where it can help keep the vehicle from rolling over.
