Thousands of automobile accidents occur every day and they are the leading cause of death among children and young adults, according to the World Health Organization. With this in mind, it is every parent’s responsibility to choose a vehicle – a safe family car that’s safe to drive. True, implementing safety tips for driving with kids is crucial in keeping your offspring and other road users protected when you’re behind the wheel.
But that’s not enough. You need a vehicle that will protect everyone from getting injured when a car crash occurs, if not prevent you from getting into a road accident. So, how do you choose the safest vehicle for your family? This article will help you decide if your next car is safe based on factors like design, fuel efficiency, and safety features.
Be Cautious Of Structural Design
You think of car design as an element of beauty only. But the design of your car matters a lot in terms of safety. A safe car will have a firm steel cage, designed to protect the driver and passenger compartment. Think about the front and rear ends of the vehicle. Can it buckle and bend when you crash into an object on the road or another car? If yes, the car can easily absorb the impact or force of a crash, keeping any damage away from the passenger cage.
How do you know the structural design of a vehicle guarantees safety? Review crashworthiness reports online. Many independent companies conduct extensive crash tests on different car models to determine if they can protect passengers from a crash impact. The safest automobile will always get the highest safety ratings.
Consider Advanced Safety Features of Safe Family Car
When you’re looking at safety features in your next family ride, think beyond airbags, safety belts, and child car seat tethers. Ask yourself, does your desired car have electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, lane departure warning, collision warning, rearview camera, and blind spot detection? It doesn’t matter if you’re looking at gas-fueled or electric vehicles with the highest safety ratings online.
Having these features in your automobile gives you peace of mind that your family will be safe whenever you’re driving. Based on research findings published in Forbes, these advanced features reduce accidents significantly. For example, cars fitted with blind-spot detection have a 14% lower chance of getting into an accident compared to those without this special feature.
Likewise, cars with anti-lock brakes have a lower chance of skidding when you brake suddenly, while a lane department warning notifies you if you drift into another lane, thus preventing you and your family from getting into an accident.
Be Mindful Of Fuel Efficiency
Besides preventing road accidents, you need a safe family car that’s safe for the environment. You wouldn’t want your family road trips to cause increased carbon emissions, right? Therefore, research for car models that consume less fuel even when you’re embarking on a long journey. Depending on your family’s unique needs, you could settle for conventional gas-fueled cars with a larger tank and advanced tech for saving fuel, such as turbocharged engines, direct injection, and low-rolling-resistance tires.
How about buying an electric vehicle? After all, they emit zero greenhouse gasses. That means they will keep your family and environment safe from the effects of pollution. But there’s something you should consider when picking a family-friendly and fuel-efficient ride. Don’t sacrifice the weight and size of your car. Choose a large and heavy car as it will protect your family from significant impact during a collision compared to a smaller vehicle.
Any parent will agree that choosing a suitable car for the family is stressful. First of all, how do you determine which automobile is safe for your loved ones? For starters, look out for car safety features and crashworthiness reports. Does your family’s dream car have a lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, and emergency braking system? What about the structural design? Your safe family car should feature a firm steel cage and crumple zones to protect passengers against the impact of a collision. Also, pick a fuel-efficient car to lower your family’s carbon footprint, thus keeping the environment safe from pollution.