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I have entered an age where I no longer am one of two drivers in our house. Our girls are old enough to get their driver’s license and I wonder to myself, where has the time gone. More importantly, I worry about them being on the road and keeping safe. Will they commit to not texting and driving? When they are in the car with their friends, will they take consider the distractions that a few girls can muster? What about all the fancy bells and whistle on new cars, will they rely on those and not check over their shoulder to check their blind spot?
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With new cars having a plethora of safety features that I could not have imagined would exist when I learned how to drive, it’s no wonder that driving has become safer. Have you considered how many new safety features are in your new car? In the last fifteen years, car manufacturers have been adding features that make us better driver by providing cues, visual and noise reminders that we must pay attention when we drive.
Common Safety Technologies and Features:
Back-up Cameras: help you see objects directly behind you while backing up and can help you judge how far away from objects you are—or even predict where your car may be. Take note, you should always walk around your car to make sure there is nothing around – and clean the lens often for a clear view!
Blind Spot Monitors: warn you of cars driving in your blind spots. They may provide an additional warning if you use your turn signal when there is a car next to you in another lane.
Forward Collision Warning: can alert you of an impending collision with a slower moving or stationary car in front of you.
Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS): help you steer in emergencies by restoring traction to your tires.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): is an advanced version of cruise control that not only maintains your set speed, but your following distance as well. Depending on the system, it will provide some level of braking relative to the car ahead.
Automatic Emergency Braking System: applies the brakes to their maximum to avoid a stopped car ahead or a car turning in front of you.
Lane Departure Warning systems: alert you if you’re drifting out of your lane using visual, vibration or sound warnings.
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS): may warn you if your tires are under – or over – inflated, helping you prevent a tire blowout.
Although, we have an eleven year old van, I sometimes get the opportunity to drive my mom’s compact car because it is loaded with safety features that I just love: the back up camera and the blind spot monitors. The back up camera is like having a second pair of eyes. I cannot tell you how I became so easily accustomed to checking the back up camera on the car when I am in a parking lot. I am always cautious to begin with but having the ability to double check as I pull away slowly is very reassuring. You always need to be careful to clean off the camera to make sure it is ready for you to use. Take a walk around the car before you stop to clean the camera. Just one more safety habit I’m going to get my daughter into. I’m also going to have her watch this short video that explains how to use a back up camera effectively.
Like I said another feature that I love is the blind spot monitors. This nifty little feature lets you know if there is a vehicle in your blind spot. You should always do a shoulder check but sometimes, you will get distracted and get chatting (I’m talking to you my sweet daughter), so for example, if you signal that you are changing lanes the blind spot monitor may alert you via a seat vibration or a light indicator that there is an approaching car. I certainly know that this is something that would have saved my bacon every time.
I love what new features are in cars today. I am hoping our new car will have most of these features as standard fair. I have admit, that when my second daughter takes her final driving test, I would like her to test in my mother’s car because all the features helps her ‘double check’ that she is driving safely.
You can visit MyCarDoesWhat.org to learn about more safety features and technologies.
On Twitter, share your main reason why car safety technologies make your family safer!
Use #MyCarDoesWhat4Me in their posts, so I can fall along on Twitter (I’m @DownshiftingPRO)
On Twitter, share your main reason why car safety technologies make your family safer!
Use #MyCarDoesWhat4Me in their posts, so I can fall along on Twitter (I’m @DownshiftingPRO)
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