National Safety Day: The Difference Between Passive and Active Safety Features, plus Four Safety Tech Features to Consider in Your Next Car

Today is National Safety Day, and we thought it would be a great idea to share some descriptions of different car safety features on the market today.  We understand that buying and shopping or cars is not part of our customer’s daily lives, and not everyone is as familiar with the terminology and lingo of the field!  We hope our guide will help you learn more about these important tech and safety features so you can get the most out of your vehicle.

What’s the difference between passive and active safety features?

Passive Safety Features are features such as seat belts, airbags, side-impact beams, head restraints to prevent neck injuries, shatterproof glass,  Anti-lock Braking systems, crumple zones, and park assist.

Active Safety Features include systems such as, electronic stability control, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, headlight aiming systems, driver monitoring/driver drowsiness detection, blind spot detection, Lane Keep assist/Lane Departure warnings, tire pressure monitoring systems, etc.

Here are four of the latest top safety features to consider when shopping for a new vehicle:

• Forward Collision Warning – This safety feature helps monitor the distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you by utilizing sensors, cameras, and radar systems.  Your vehicle will use this data to help warn of impending events with visual and auditory cues to alert you, giving you extra time to react and avoid an accident.
  
• Rear Parking Sensors/Camera – Avoid unnecessary dings and dents from bumping curbs and signs, and keep an extra eye out for pedestrians and other vehicles with the use of rear cameras.  The sensor system will help you back into and out of confined spaces with ease, alerting you to any potential danger or collision with audible alerts and visuals on the infotainment center. Most rear sensors also have an optional parking guide with lines and arrows designed to help you line up the spot properly.
  
• Driver Attention/Driver Alert Warning systems – Being always on the go from work to school to activities, it’s no surprise that we’re all a little worn out by the end of the day.  Avoid collisions due to exhaustion and falling asleep behind the wheel thanks to this specialized system.  Having this Driver Attention System in place can help monitor your concentration level and steering wheel use, and lets you know when you need to refocus or pull over and take a short rest.  If you need a break please take one; this system alert can provide with that much needed reminder that distracted driving is a real safety concern!
  
• Pedestrian Detection Systems – The advanced driver assistance system uses built-in sensors, cameras, and AI technology ato identify the presence of pedestrians around and behind your vehicle. It detects human movements, and some versions of the system may even apply the brakes if the driver does not respond quickly to the alert. It acts as an additional set of eyes and alerts the driver or may automatically apply the brakes when a pedestrian is in the path of the vehicle at speeds of 25mph+. 

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