How To Find The Safest Car For Your Family
When you are buying a car, there’s usually a lot to think about to ensure you get the best car for your money. Among other aspects, you will consider whether to buy a used or a new car, how much to spend, and what model or color to buy. If you are buying a family car, one major aspect to consider is safety. Safe driving practices aren’t the only thing that ensures safety on the road. The kind of car you drive in terms of its features play an essentially pivotal role. With a variety of cars available in the market, here is a guide to help you find the safest car for your family.
Step 1 - Look At The Car’s Crash Tests
Crash test results will help you know whether you are buying one of the safest cars in the market. That is, the results will give you an insight into the type of protection the car will offer. Look for cars with high scores on the crash test. These tests are usually done on sections such as the roof, side-impact, rollover, and frontal offset to ensure that in case of a crash, property damage as well as personal injury are greatly minimized.
Step 2 - Check The Airbag Positioning
Airbags are a standard hazard response technology on cars that activate in the event of a collision to reduce impact on yourself, other passengers in the car, and the car’s interior. However, there are different types of airbags so you need to have this in mind if you are looking for the safest car for your family. Frontal airbags are common on most vehicles and are designed to offer protection in the event of a front-end collision. However, these airbags won’t be able to protect you in the unfortunate case of a side-on collision or a rollover. For this reason, look for a car with side-impact as well as side curtain airbags. The former will offer protection to the torso during a side-impact crash. Most cars only have these side-impact airbags on the front seats so it would be more beneficial to choose one that also has the airbags on the backseats. Side curtains, sometimes referred to as head curtain airbags, offer head protection especially for the outboard occupants.
Step 3 - Look For An Electronic Stability Control
A vehicle with an electronic stability control uses specially designed sensors that monitor its path and determines whether it matches the intended path based on the brake inputs, steering, and throttle. By so doing, the stability control minimizes any chances of the car losing control or even skidding especially on sharp turns.
Step 4 - Look For Visibility Aids
When making your vehicle choice, you should also consider features that will aid your visibility when driving. Most significantly, consider features such as blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The latter is a system that allows you to know of any coming cross-traffic when you are backing out of parking spaces. Do you want to learn more about it? Click here!
Step 5 - Consider The Braking System
The brakes are a pivotal system in a car when it comes to safety. Look for a car with an antilock braking system. This type of braking system prevents the car’s wheels from locking, allowing you to maintain control. It does so by applying sporadic brake pressure rapidly. Besides allowing you better steering control, an antilock braking system also ensures that the stopping distances, especially on slippery surfaces are much shorter. These two features makes it easy for you to control the car more efficiently in emergencies.
