18 Car Safety Features: Everything You Need To Know

As the years keep going by, more car safety features are being integrated into new automobiles.

Virtually all cars you see on the road have a minimum of 10 car safety features; a few drivers know all of them, while many drivers know about the common safety features such as the seatbelt, airbag, automatic brake, and others.

Well, this article will list and explain all the car safety features that are available in virtually all the cars you’ll see on the road.

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It is important that you know these features and utilizes them when required; they help keep the driver and/or passenger(s) safe in case of emergencies.

While your car manual may contain lots of information about the various features available on your car, this blog will be an extensive source of handy information regarding car safety techs and features.

Important notice

You may not find all these safety features and systems in one vehicle; however, some high-class, customized vehicles can come along with all of them.

Also, some “very-expensive” vehicles may feature a good number of these safety systems – and lastly, the car’s model, brand, or type may limit the number of features you’ll get.

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Car Safety Features: The complete Check-List

Seatbelt warning system

Everyone knows about this feature; all cars must have seatbelts. It is more like the primary safety feature that is required on any four-wheel vehicle.

A seatbelt wearing system is available in virtually all cars; it notifies the driver (ringing a sound) that someone (either the driver or a passenger) in the vehicle isn’t wearing a seatbelt.

This warning goes on for some seconds, and then it stops. Seatbelts may not be regarded as important car safety features, but the fact remains that they play a vital role in saving the driver and passengers in a vehicle when an accident occurs.

Airbags

Airbags also help in the case of an accident, while the seatbelt holds you tight to the car seat, the airbag(s) pump out to ensure you don’t hit the dashboard.

You can also find “side-curtain airbags” in some cars, and the function is the same.

You should ask about the Airbag when buying a used car – it is a vital safety feature that must be functionally on any vehicle.

Adaptive cruise control

Available on cars with camera and radar modules, adaptive cruise control is a smart car tech that calculates the distance you should keep from a car in front.

It is a feature that automatically adjusts your car speed levels while in traffic or riding on any road.

You may need to trigger this feature (if you need it) manually.

As you may guess, the functionality of this feature differs from car to car. A car with an advanced version of adaptive cruise control will automatically come to a stop when the car in front stops abruptly.

This feature is helpful to drivers, and it is one of the best car safety features to look out for.

Traction control

Traction control helps to regulate how your car tires spin when the car is accelerating. It simply helps your car wheels to gain traction on slippery surfaces.

This tech is mostly designed to work in hand with your car’s anti-lock brake system, so it can easily apply brakes when a wheel is spinning more than required.

You may not notice this safety system’s importance until you ride/accelerate on a wet or icy surface.

Forward collision warning

There are multiple sensors utilized by a car, and this tech works with the sensors located in the front of your car.

This feature’s essence is to send a warning to the driver when the car is very close to the car in front.

However, aside from sending a warning to the driver, this feature takes no action.

It is left for the driver to apply the brakes or swing away (if on high speed) to avoid colliding with the car in front.

High-speed alert

This is a high-tech feature that works with the car’s GPS system to notify the driver when he exceeds the standard speed limit.

It rings an alarm to notify of high-speed.

Some modern cars come with the advanced version of this tech, which works with a camera sensor to detect speed limit signs.

Also, in some high-class vehicles, this car safety feature may have access to automatically control the car’s speed and always keep it at an average level.

High-speed alert tech is sometimes called Intelligent Speed Adaptation.

Not all cars may have this tech, but it is one of the most relevant car safety features you should know.

Bicycle detection

If you frequently ride on roads where bicycles ride too, that’s when you’ll value this tech.

It simply detects if a bike is close and gives you (the car driver) notification on the dashboard. Some advanced versions of this tech support more functions.

Electronic stability control

You will mostly find this safety feature on cars designed in 2012 or later. It utilizes several sensors to regulate skidding and sliding.

This car safety feature monitors steering actions, sideways motion, and wheel speed.

If a car has Electronic Stability Control, the tech will apply brakes when the swerves to another path while allowing the driver to regain control over the vehicle and continue driving.

However, depending on the car brand, this safety feature can be codenamed StabiliTrak, AdvanceTrac, or any other name.

Irrespective of the name, the function is the same on all cars.

Anti Lock brakes/brake assist

Brakes are not to be tampered with; they are among the most critical components in a car.

What the antilock brakes (brake assist) tech does is to prevent your wheels from getting locked when you suddenly hit the brake.

A driver already knows how dangerous it could be for your wheels to get locked; hence, this is an important car safety feature. 

The invention of this car tech system is due to results from studies that showed most drivers do not apply the brakes as hard as required (even in panic stops).

Whether your car comes with antilock brakes or brake assist, these techs are most likely the same.

Automatic emergency braking (AEB)

Getting the forward-collision warnings isn’t enough, this tech makes it more efficient and effective.

The AEB tech will automatically trigger the brakes and putting the car to a stop or reduce the speed to avoid a collision.

This car safety feature should be available on all vehicles; it can help prevent accidents and collision damages.

However, AEB will apply the brakes only if you do not respond quickly to the forward-collision warnings, and the car is already very close to the one in front. Not all cars come with this feature.

Pedestrian detection

Just as AEB and bicycle detection, pedestrian detection will detect pedestrians crossing the road and then applies brake (if the driver is slow to respond to the warning) to prevent the car from hitting the pedestrians.

This tech works with both forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking features.

Pedestrian detection makes use of the car’s camera(s) or radar to detect pedestrians on the road.

For vehicles with an advanced version of this tech, Pedestrian detection will send a loud warning sound or a clear visual alert (on the dashboard).

If the driver ignores the warning, then the tech will trigger automatic emergency braking if the pedestrian is very close.

Blind-spot warning (BSW)

The blind-spot feature is becoming rampant (on modern cars), and some people are so much willing to have on their car; hence, some of them trade their car in and pick up a new one with the blind-spot feature.

But what is this feature all about? It displays an icon or flashes a light in your mirror; sometimes, the alert will show adjacent to your side mirror.

Blind-spot warning is trying to let you know that another vehicle is right beside you (in the same lane), so you can decide whether to keep straight, shift left, or right.

In some cars, the blind-spot warning may notify the driver with a sound, while in some high-class vehicles, this tech may automatically trigger the brakes or swerve the steering back to lane. The tech is pretty essential and handy.

Adaptive headlights

This feature triggers the car headlights to swing from left to right (and vice versa) following the steering direction.

The purpose is to ensure that you can see clearly as you bend through curved roads.

Automatic high-beams

Automatic high-beams can work together with adaptive headlights to illuminate your path during night driving.

If a car comes with this car safety feature, the car’s headlamps will automatically switch to high-beams when you are driving through a dark path.

Also, this feature has advanced over the years; its current versions can distinguish between road sign deflections and headlight beams from a vehicle in front.

No doubt, this is a reliable safety feature (especially if you drive at night) that you should look out for when buying a new car.

Lane-keeping assist (LKA)

This feature is of great help to a driver. It helps to keep adjusting the steering to ensure the car doesn’t go out of the lane.

Depending on the car model and brand, this tech may send audible alarms each time the vehicle veers off to another lane or simply adjust the steering without the deriver’s effort (to keep the car in its path).

With this feature activated on a car, the driver has less work to do in maintaining his lane while driving on the roads.

The primary and only purpose of lane-keeping assists to make automatic steering adjustments without the driver’s contribution.

Obviously, this car safety feature is among the very important ones you should know about.

Lane-departure warning (LDW)

Similar with lane-keeping assist, but makes use of your vehicle’s camera, a lane-departure warning will display/sound if you attempt to turn to another lane without activating trafficatorlight (turn signals).

This tech makes use of the cameras on your car to detect and monitor lane markers.

The alert you’ll get for wanting to switch lanes without activating the trafficator may be a ring sound, the LDW icon displays on your dashboard, or vibration (on the wheel or driver’s seat).

However, if the turn signal is activated before you attempt to change your lane, this alert won’t be triggered.

It can be considered as a very important car safety feature for all drivers.

Semi-autonomous driving mode

This care safety feature works like Tesla’s Autopilot system, Cadillac’s Super Cruise, and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist; it comes with different modes and helps to reduce drivers’ fatigue.

The semi-autonomous driving mode is quite different from adaptive cruise control.

In some cars, this feature can automatically change lanes if the turn signal is activated.

Safety exit assist

Safety exit assist is a feature that temporarily locks your car’s rear doors to prevent the kids or the passenger from opening the back door (when other vehicles or bicycles are right behind you).

This tech is clever (just as the blind spot monitor); it keeps your kids/passenger(s) safe, as well as protect other autos that are on the same road with you.

The first time safety exit assist was used in a car was on Hyundai Santa Fe SUV.

What more?

There are pretty other car safety features that may not be listed in this article.

For example, there are features like Teen Driver Technology, multiple cameras, snow tires, smart high beams, and more.

All these features may not be found in one car; however, some can be integrated into certain cars that do not come naturally.

When shopping for a used car, you should ask the private seller or dealer the number of safety features available on the car.

Of course, the seatbelts and airbags are preliminary, then a reasonable amount of other features will do.