Be sure to investigate which safety features are available on any car you’re considering.  Arm yourself with the information available on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safercar.gov website. (www.safercar.gov).

Front air bags:  Today, front air bags are available on all new cars, even the least expensive.  Air bag systems, sometimes called Supplementary Restraint Systems (SRS), rely on electronic sensors and an onboard computer to detect a frontal collision and then trigger the bags.  The bags inflate in a few milliseconds, cushioning the front seat occupants, and then immediately deflate.

Dual-stage front air bags:  The latest generation of adaptive, dual-stage front air bags detects variables in certain conditions, such as whether a seat belt is fastened and the severity of a crash.  With the ability to detect these variables, the air bags can determine the appropriate deployment power relative to the conditions present.  Many of the latest systems can also determine whether a person is even in the passenger seat and will deactivate the air bag accordingly.  State-of-the-art air-bag systems detect the presence, height, weight, and seat position of the driver and front passenger, and deactivate or reduce the deployment power of the front air bags in order to minimize the chance of injury to out-of-position occupants.

Side-impact air bags are designed to protect the torsos of front-seat passengers.

Side-curtain bags, which traverse the front and rear side windows, prevent passengers from striking their heads, protect them from flying debris and help stop them from being ejected from the car during rollovers.  

With continuing innovation in air bag technology, it is important to ask about the air bag system of any vehicle you are considering.

Antilock brakes (ABS):  ABS maximizes braking power by using a computer to eliminate brake lock-up.  Eliminating lock-up, in turn, also helps maintain steering control.  

Brake Assist:  Some Antilock Braking Systems come with brake assist, which engages ABS and boosts brake pressure under heavy or panic braking.  Not all cars that have ABS also have brake assist.  Ask before you buy.

Seat belts:  One of the most important safety devices in the modern automobile are seat belts, which in recent years have been made more effective.  In fact, today’s seat belts employ a dual lap and shoulder restraint system, using one single continuous length of webbing, which helps spread out the energy of the moving body in a collision over the chest, pelvis, and shoulders.  They also feature a retractor reel, which lets out the strap or pulls it back as needed. In an accident, the reel locks, preventing any more strap from coming out and holding the passenger in the car.  Many vehicles offer seat belts with a shoulder-height adjustment feature designed to ensure that the seat belt is properly positioned across the front of your body.

LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children):  Since 2002, all new vehicles are required to have the LATCH system, which incorporates built-in lower anchors and car safety-seat tether attachment points, allowing compatible child safety seats to be firmly anchored to a car without relying on the vehicle's seatbelts.  The LATCH system enhances child safety seat installation by reducing incompatibilities between vehicles and the seats themselves.

Traction control:  Traction control systems electronically limit wheel spin during acceleration to help achieve maximum traction, particularly on wet, snowy or icy surfaces.  Some traction control systems use the car's anti-lock brake system to detect and limit wheel spin.  When wheel spin is detected, traction control momentarily applies the brakes to the slipping wheel and routes power to a wheel with better grip.  Enhanced traction control systems use a combination of ABS and engine controls to manage traction on slick surfaces and at higher speeds.  Enhanced traction control systems are more complex and may shift the transmission, decrease the throttle, apply the brakes – or perform any combination of these adjustments – to help prevent wheel spin.

Electronic stability control:  Electronic stability control is even more advanced than traction control.  Sensors throughout the vehicle allow the system to factor in a greater number of variables, including individual wheel speed, steering angle, and lateral motion, so that it can electronically adjust the vehicle’s engine, braking, suspension or steering systems as necessary.  

Electronic stability control provides an extra measure of control on slippery surfaces and in accident-avoidance maneuvers.  On some tall vehicles with high centers of gravity, such as SUVs, electronic stability control can also prevent the vehicle from getting in a situation where rollover is imminent.  Some manufacturers even incorporate roll stability control on these vehicles.  Sometimes called RSC, these systems use gyroscopic sensors to determine if the vehicle is about to roll.  If so, the system automatically activates the electronic stability control, as necessary, to help bring the car back under control.

Tire pressure monitors:  Beginning September 1, 2007, USA government regulations will require tire pressure monitors on all new light vehicles.  Why?  Tire under-inflation can greatly increase the chance of blowouts and the introduction of the monitors should go a long way toward preventing them.  When you are looking for a car, keep in mind that two types of monitors are acceptable to the government.  A direct monitoring system places a sensor inside each wheel to measure the tire pressure.  An indirect monitoring system determines air loss by using sensors to measure chassis ride-height or to count wheel revolutions.  

Telematics:  Telematics are a combination of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology and cellular telephone service employed to enhance the security of both car and driver.  With the touch of a button, a driver can speak with a monitoring station, where the location of the vehicle can be tracked by computer to provide route directions or, if necessary, emergency assistance.  If a vehicle's air bag is deployed, the system can automatically notify the control center, locate the vehicle, and dispatch emergency aid.    A worthy safety addition to any vehicle, most telematic systems require a monthly service fee to keep the benefits in force.