If the time has come to replace your car, you might be considering an upgrade. While there is a lot to be said about upgrading to a vehicle that offers more comfort or efficiency, you should also give thought to upgrading your safety.
Vehicle safety systems have come ahead by leaps and bounds, and the chances are that manufacturers will keep pushing out new features to keep occupants safe.
When looking at safety features, there is one thing to bear in mind
While you do not want to get injured in a crash, you don’t want to injure anyone else, either. Not only would you likely feel bad, but it could cost you money and even time in jail in certain circumstances. The more tank-like a vehicle becomes, the more likely it is to kill anyone in its path. So, prioritize features based on intelligence rather than brawn.
Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS)
These use a mixture of cameras and sensors to prevent you from crashing. By doing that, they prioritize the safety of those other road users, too. Examples include:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Automatic emergency braking
- Blind spot detection
- Collision warning
- Cross-traffic alert
- Forward and rear collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Pedestrian detection system
- Road sign recognition
Some of these systems merely alert you to a potential hazard with noise or a visual warning. Others intervene, hitting the brakes on your behalf or adding force to your braking. All these features come at a cost, however, and the more safety features a manufacturer adds to a model, the more they are likely to charge for it.
If you can afford it, you may find the investment worthwhile. Having a crash can be a lot more expensive than you think once you consider the need for medical treatment, time off work and other consequences.