With the recent reports of 4 million cars in Australia being recalled to replace potentially deadly Takata airbags and Ford Ranger Ute drivers being advised not to drive in areas with long grass due to 24 vehicles catching fire it begs the question of how safe is your car?
Fatalities on roads increase for the first time in five years
We started off the year with a sad turn of events when the number of road fatalities rose by 2.4% in January. According to the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities (BITRE), 103 deaths occurred in January 2018 which has increased for the first time in five years. As a result, it is costing the Australian economy $29.7 billion, according to a study commissioned by the Australian Automobile Association.
Find a car that ranks high in safety ratings
Not all accidents are caused by someone speeding or being under the influence. Sometimes all it takes is going the extra mile to ensure that your four wheels are likely to do less harm should you be involved in an accident. You may not be able to test your airbags to see if it is working, but you could search your car on the Australian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) which is a click away. The website rates all types of vehicles in five star rating system to test its overall level of safety, particularly during an accident. A one star rating meaning that it’s level of safety is poor to a five star rating meaning it is a good car with great safety features that will be able to protect you during an accident.
What to look for in a car in terms of safety features?
The modern day car comes with many bells and whistles to enhance our driving experience. However, you also want to buy something that will give you peace of mind by protecting you when you are unable to react on time. When looking to buy a car, safety feature technologies should be one of the top things on your list. Some of these features already come with most models on the road, but it always helps to check before putting your money behind it. Look for features such as:
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) works by detecting when a possible collision is about to occur, and should you not be able to react timeously it automatically slams on the brakes for you.
- Blind Spot warning is a car safety technology that makes use of cameras or a radar which helps to alert you if there is another vehicle lurking in the lane that is possibly hidden in your car's blind spot. Some systems use sound to alert you or automatically steer the car back into the right lane out of harm's way.
- Forward-collision warning scans for cars ahead and sends out a warning to the driver if they are approaching a vehicle to fast in their lane, making a crash imminent.
Buying a car with car safety features can have its perks such as reducing your car insurance premiums. Driving without an adequate car insurance cover is a ticking time bomb.Having insurance helps when it comes to protecting your four wheels on the road, and is cost effective when it comes to sorting out repairs that it will need after an accident.