Seven must-have safety features every car should have

Just like there are a plethora of options available in each and every car segment that you lay your eyes upon, there is a long list of features that come along with those cars. Not every feature mentioned on that list is useful for you. We tend to ignore the safety features on the list and move on to the looks, colors, power figures, and interior space of the car. Here are seven must-have safety features that every car should have and you should look for while buying a new one.

1- Airbags

This is the most basic and one of the most critical and active safety features that every car should have. Airbags really help in saving lives. There are a number of crash sensors located at different places on a car depending upon the number of airbags. These sensors send information to an onboard computer, and in case of an unfortunate event, the airbags inflate. Today, automobile companies provide a number of airbags like front airbags, side or curtain airbags, knee airbags, etc. Although, the more the number of airbags the better, they do come at a price. So, at least dual front airbags should be standard in every car.

2- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

This is another significant safety feature that has saved many lives so far. Its essential function is to prevent the wheels of a car from locking during panic or emergency braking. This allows the driver to steer the car to avoid the crash or towards a safer direction. ABS works irrespective of the surface on which the vehicle is being driven.

3- Reverse camera and parking sensors

Finding a good parking spot in today’s congested cities of Malaysia is a tough task. Even if you find one, chances are it would be so tight that even with your years of driving skills, it would be extremely cumbersome for you to safely park your vehicle. To make your life easier by a bit, reverse camera and parking sensors are the best bet. The camera gives you a clear vision of the parking spot behind you, and the sensors look for objects and obstacles and tell you when to stop by triggering a beep sound. This feature acts more like a safety feature for the people around the car than inside it.

4- Seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters

Every car comes with a pair of seatbelts for both the front and rear passengers. However, just like most the other safety features, these, too, are of different types. We suggest going for the seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, as they provide greater safety than the standard 3-point ones.

The pre-tensioner tightens up the grip on the passenger as soon as it detects a sudden drop in the speed of the vehicle. This doesn’t allow the passenger to escape the grip of the seatbelt in case of a crash. The load limiters work just opposite to the pre-tensioner. They reduce the pressure on the passenger’s chest when it jolts forward.

5- Automatic Headlight On (AHO) or Daytime Running Lights (DRL)

Studies have proven that switched on headlights increase the visibility of the vehicles. That’s why many car manufacturers have started giving Daytime Running Lights (DRL) in their products. These are usually LEDs and gets illuminated as soon as the key is inserted into the keyhole. They also serve as a styling element. Automatic Headlight On (AHO) is a similar proposition.

6- Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)

This is one of the most underrated safety features. Tires are the only element of your car that is in constant contact with the ground below. They experience a whole lot of wear and tear throughout their entire lifespan. So, it’s essential to keep very good care of them. One way of doing that is maintaining proper tire pressure at all times. This could be a difficult task as you’d either need to go to a tire shop or a filling station where you can get the pressure checked. Or you buy the device and do it yourself. Another way of doing it is through the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). It displays the real-time tire pressure information to the driver either via a gauge, a pictogram display, or a simple low-pressure warning light.

7- Auto-dimming or electrochromic inner rear view mirror

We’ve all experienced the glare while looking at the inner rear view mirror of our cars. The light coming from the headlamps of the car behind you blinds you as soon as you look in your inner rear view mirror. This could be dangerous as it blinds you out for a few seconds. And a lot can happen in that time.

To avoid such situations, some mirrors come with a manual adjustment to reduce the glare. However, doing it manually means taking your eyes off the road, which isn’t recommended. So, here comes the auto-dimming or electrochromic mirror for the rescue. This looks like a regular mirror, but a whole lot of wizardry goes on inside it to help you see better. In simple terms, it reduces the glare by darkening the mirror. And it happens automatically. It’s a cool and handy safety feature to have.