As a local auto body shop in Rohnert Park, we’re seen quite a few cars after they’ve been involved in an accident. Should you be unfortunate enough to be in a car accident, you should make sure your vehicle has these basic safety features for you and your families protection.
Make sure your loved ones’ vehicles do, as well. Modern car manufacturers offer a variety of additional features you may also want to investigate. This list is particularly important if you’re looking into purchasing a used car, especially a used car that’s more than 5 years old. It includes dates for when some of these features became standard.
Airbags – This may seem like common sense but there was a time when airbags were not standard in all new cars, and that was any model year prior to 1998. While airbags are important safety features, and save countless lives, they can also be dangerous. This is especially true for small children and other people potentially at risk of injury from the force of the airbag exploding from the dashboard.
Dynamic safety belts – Seat belts might also seem like common sense, but there was also a time when they were not standard in all vehicles: 1968. Model years prior to 1968 may not have seat belts, and the dynamic seat belt features of modern cars are vast improvements on older models. Make sure you have the latest seat belt features to ensure that in the event of a crash you are lowering your risk as much as possible.
Child safety seat system – Prior to 2002 many vehicles did not have a standard child seat latch system available. The modern LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system involves a 3 point harness for child seats that maximizes their safety. Make sure your vehicle has one of these systems if you have kids.
Traction and electronic stability control – Traction control is an electronic system, so later model cars may not be compatible with this feature. The system limits how much the wheels will spin during acceleration, ensuring they maintain a certain level of traction. If the front tires of a vehicle end up slipping, and sliding along the road, the vehicle loses its ability to steer. This can be a very dangerous situation, making traction control an important safety feature to make sure you have on your car.
Electronic stability control is related to traction control and was made standard on all vehicles after 2012. Model years prior to 2012 may not be compatible. ESC is a complex sensor-driven system that monitors how the vehicle is situated on the road to help avoid sliding, skidding, and drifting. It’s particularly useful in vehicles with a high center of gravity, like pick-ups and SUVs.
Antilock brakes system (ABS) – can you believe antilock brakes weren’t made standard across all vehicles in the United States until 2004? Prior to that, car manufacturers didn’t need to install them unless a customer requested it. The system works by sensing when a heavy braking scenario is occurring. It then releases and reapplies, or ‘pumps’, the brakes to aid in preventing a lock-up. This gives the driver much more control over the vehicle, preventing some accidents from happening.
These are just some of the basic features you should look for, and the years they became standard. There are plenty of other features available in modern vehicles you may want to do a little reading about. If you do find yourself in a collision and had to rely on any of these features, bring your vehicle by Downtown Autobody and let us help you put it back together. Stop by today for a free estimate.