When looking for a new car, you will obviously be after a vehicle that offers a long list of safety features. When buying a car for your family, it is even more important that it is packed to the brim with safety (and entertainment) features to protect the ones you love the most. Whether it be a small car, or a big 4WD, you should be in the market for 5 star ANCAP safety and savvy features to match! Here is our list of top features to keep your family safe on the road in between the school drop-offs and soccer runs.
Airbags
Airbags are an obvious must when it comes to safety. In the event of impact, they will inflate and reduce the risk of major injury to your loved ones. This paired with seatbelts should raise the safety grading of your vehicle and reduce the risk of serious head injury or death in a frontal collision by more than half. A 2012 Monash University Accident Research Centre study found that a combination of curtain and side torso airbags limits severe injury and death by 60 percent in side impact collisions. Need any more convincing?
Reversing camera & sensors
When it comes to driveway safety, reversing cameras are a must. By using both your mirrors and camera is a much safer way to reverse and stay aware of your surroundings. Kids love to play in the driveway, so make a point of having a camera or sensors installed to increase safety.
Mirrors
Not only are mirrors essential to safe driving practices and being aware of what is around you, they are also great for internal factors. If the back seat is unusually quiet, you’ll be able to check in the rear vision mirror to see what’s going on. This way you won’t have to turn around and be too distracted from the road in the process.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a safety feature in the aspect that you will no longer be tempted to touch your phone when on the road, but it is also an essential for family outings. You’ll no longer need to constantly change the CD or switch between radio stations, plus you can load up your iPod or phone with a variety of playlists to suit every music taste.
Second row air-conditioning
Driving means sitting in the front seat and having full control and access to the air-conditioner. Usually this means you forget about the poor passengers in the back seat. They could either be sweating big time or shivering from the cold and have no control over the temperature. Stop the threat of complaining children in its tracks by making rear air-conditioning a must-have feature.
Storage
Make road trips and everyday life that much easier by taking note of storage capacity in the boot space. I can guarantee you do not want to be playing Boot Tetris every time you get ready to take off because there isn’t enough space for all the things you need to bring. It will only end badly when the kids end up in the back with eskies and what-not stacked up and making it even more cramped.
Keyless boot entry
Having a family means you’re less likely to have free hands when you need them most. This includes carrying the bundle of groceries to the car and juggling sports equipment and schoolbags at the one time. Having boot entry that is either sensor or keyless will make life that much easier when going to pack all the bundles of things into the boot while keeping an eye on the kids in the process.
Five-Star Safety Rating
Hands-down the most important of all the features is a 5 star safety rating. You want to have peace of mind when taking your precious family out for a drive. Although this doesn’t give you bulletproof capabilities, it sure is better to be prepared in the event of a crash or accident.
Go ahead and get shopping now! Make a list of other must-haves and don’t budge on them, even if you could get a good deal on something else. It’s much better to have a comfortable and safe drive for the remainder of the vehicle life than a good deal on something that isn’t right. Keep your family’s priorities in mind.
The information contained in this blog is accurate only at the date of publication.
