Five extra safety features every car should have

While we may never be able to eliminate road fatalities, advances in automotive safety mean that drivers and occupants are less likely to be seriously injured should they be involved in an accident. Car manufacturers have also invested heavily in safety features that can help prevent accidents from happening in the first place. Our man Derryn Wong (todaycars [at] mediacorp.com.sg) looks at more advanced safety options you should consider when ticking the options boxes on your next car.

has come a long way in a relatively taying alive is always a priority but what are the best things to choose among cost-optional safety features?

BLIND-SPOT MONITOR

As modern cars become stronger and larger, visibility sometimes suffers as a result of thicker pillars or smaller windows. Blind-spot monitors help warn you if there are vehicles lurking in the periphery of your vision, and will quickly earn their keep on Singapore’s crowded roads where drivers love to jostle into other lanes quickly and without using their turn signals.

ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is a system that uses radar and ultrasonic sensors to keep your car at a certain speed and distance to the car in front of you. Now that the technology has become quite mature, it is found as a cost option in many vehicles, especially European ones.

While it is not cheap, its main benefit — besides convenience in jams or commutes — is that choosing ACC often means getting autonomous braking and collision alert systems as part of the package.

AUTONOMOUS BRAKING

Low-speed fender-benders are the most common type of accident, and autonomous brake systems help save you the pain and inconvenience by stepping in if they detect that your are not going to stop in time.

While the pioneer, Volvo’s City Safety system, is standard for many cars sold by the Swedish brand, it has become more widespread in cars today, commonly as a paid-for option. With the number of distractions a modern driver faces, this is highly recommended.

MORE AIRBAGS

The more cushions there are when things go wrong, the better off you’ll be. While the recent Takata scandal has brought faulty airbags into the spotlight, airbags are still superb devices for keeping you safe in a car. Some brands offer extra airbags, for example, driver’s knee airbags which reduce the risk of knee or leg injuries.

More airbags are sometimes offered as part of a higher trim level, for example the Honda Civic 1.6 has front airbags, while the more expensive Civic 1.5 Turbo has front, side and side curtain airbags.

A NEW SET OF TYRES

All cars come with original equipment, or OE tyres, from the factory, which are usually slightly cheaper and less capable than the tyres you buy off-the-shelf, even if the brand and model is the same. They’re good enough for general use, but it’s an even better idea to switch to a high-quality set of tyres from a reputable brand, since they’ll deliver much better performance in all aspects including braking.