Hyundai Tucson / Jun 2021 / In-Content Rich Video
Anti-lock brakes
Most cars come standard with anti-lock brakes these days and for good reason. Anti-lock brakes help you keep control of your car in a hard braking situation. Instead of having to pump your brakes manually, anti-lock brakes pump many times in a second automatically. If you’ve ever made a hard stop where you stomp on the brakes, you may have felt the quick stutter of pressure beneath your foot. That pressure, while it may also be due to skidding a bit, is more-so due to your anti-lock brakes.
Daytime running lights
If you have lights that turn on with your car, it sets a nice contrast between your car and everything around you. It helps others see your car more easily, and it can prevent daytime accidents (thus it’s something to look for in a safe car.)
If you don’t have daytime lights, and you’re tempted to turn on your low lights as a replacement – don’t. The daytime lights that are installed on a car are very different from your vehicle’s low lights or your rain lights. So, just be a little more cautious if daytime lights don’t come standard with your car.
Vehicle size & weight
This one is just science – something that’s bigger and heavier is going to be harder to move and damage than a smaller car. To use everyone’s favorite example, it’s like putting a large SUV up against a smart car in an accident. The larger SUV is going to have a lot less damage than the smart car in the end.
However, size isn’t the end-all-be-all of safety. Larger vehicles are indeed harder to move and control, and thus, more prone to rollovers and other issues if they are in a crash. So, it can be better overall to find a happy medium between the two sizes.
Crashworthiness
This is actually an official term used by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to rate how well a vehicle will protect its passengers in a crash. When you hear about “Top Safety Picks” and “five-star safety ratings,” this is what the dealership or car manufacturer is talking about.
The factors that go into a crashworthiness rating include all the things that can reduce the risk of death or serious injury in an accident. The IIHS will rate things like the integrity of the car’s sides, roof strength, head restraints, and even the type of seats. If you’re wondering how safe your car or a car you’re about to buy is, check out iihs.org for their tool that allows you to check a car’s safety rating.