How Car Safety Features Can Minimize the Risk of Personal Injury in Accidents

When purchasing a new vehicle, one of the top priorities for most buyers is safety. Car manufacturers continue to develop new and innovative features designed to protect occupants in the event of an accident. If safety is a major concern, it’s important to understand how the latest car safety features work and how they provide an added layer of protection on the road.

Seat Belts

Wearing a seat belt is one of the most important things you can do to minimize injury in the event of a car accident, yet in 2021, 11,813 passengers who were killed in car accidents were not wearing one. Seat belts keep you securely fastened in your seat so that you don’t get thrown around the vehicle during a crash. They help spread out the force of impact across your body, rather than allowing you to be propelled forward with enormous concentrated force.

As John Mani, a Columbus car accident lawyer, always advises, make sure you and all passengers are properly buckled up. Seat belts reduce serious injuries and death by about 50%.

Airbags

Airbags provide an additional cushioning layer that rapidly deploys upon impact, and they reduce driver fatalities by 29%. Front airbags protect the head and chest in frontal collisions, while side airbags protect the head, chest and abdomen in side-impact crashes. Airbags work together with seat belts to minimize injury. However, airbags deploy with considerable force, so it’s important that drivers sit at least 10 inches back from the steering wheel and passengers don’t lean against the dashboard.

Anti-Lock Brakes

Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are designed to prevent wheels from locking up and skidding during hard braking situations. This allows the driver to maintain control of steering, avoiding obstacles and bringing the car to a stop in the shortest distance possible. ABS helps prevent accidents in the first place through enhanced braking performance. The systems automatically pump the brakes at a rapid rate to maximize stopping power without lockup.

Traction Control

Traction control works in conjunction with ABS to prevent wheel spin. Sensors detect when tires lose traction, and the system automatically applies brakes to the slipping wheels and potentially cuts engine power. Traction control allows drivers to accelerate on wet or slippery roads without having the drive wheels spin out. This minimizes the risk of fishtailing or complete loss of control that can lead to accidents. The technology helps keep the car stabilized and heading in the intended direction.

Electronic Stability Control

Electronic stability control (ESC) takes traction control further by actively braking individual wheels to correct oversteer or understeer when a car starts to skid or plow. In addition to traction optimization, ESC compensates for driver errors and automatically counter-steers to keep the car on course during sudden swerves or slippery conditions. This advanced stability minimizes the chances of spinouts or rollovers that often result in severe injuries.

Collision Avoidance Systems

Systems like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring help prevent accidents in the first place by alerting distracted drivers. Collision avoidance systems use cameras, radar and sensors to detect proximity to other vehicles and initiate automatic braking or driver warnings if a crash seems imminent. These technologies compensate for driver inattention and slow reaction times that often contribute to rear-end collisions and side impacts. Following safe driving practices and looking for advanced safety features when purchasing a new car are important ways to prioritize your protection on the road