Consumer Reports throws a list of its favorite safety features

Safety features

Consumer Reports (CR) recently showed a list of what it calls key safety features to look for in new and used cars. And while we have no specific beef with their list, save one, we thought that three more features should be added.

First the CR list:

• Blind Spot Warning (BSW), along with data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) noting that the tech has reduced lane-change crashes with injuries by 23%.
• Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), with IIHS data shows that vehicles with this tech are half as likely to rear-end another car as vehicles without it.
• Rear Cross Traffic Warning (RCTW), which alerts drivers to vehicles or pedestrians approaching from the side while in reverse. This is a favorite of mine as it sees better than the back up camera and me when between SUVs…
• AEB with Pedestrian Detection, which can automatically stop a car if it detects a pedestrian in front, and in some cases, behind.Seat-belt minders, which have recently added the ability to detect seat belt use in rear seats. This has always seemed a bit unnecessary, as unbuckled adult passengers are obvious and children should be buckled in by the driver.

So, here’s what we would insist on:

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which, in the best systems tell a driver when a specific tire is low on air pressure. Sure, the system alerts you to seasonal changes in all tires, a single tire with a nail in it or a leaky valve can be a real danger.
• Lane Departure Warning, which is a fine addition to BSW, helping to keep a driver from drifting to another lane. We don’t know of any data on whether this tech keeps drivers safer, we just feel it belongs.
• Adaptive Cruise Control, a great technology that maintains the distance between you and a vehicle in front of you without a hitch. This technology compliments AEB and actually lessons the reliance on it.

Happy motoring!

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

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