When you think of all the things that can distract a driver, the most notable thing that most people think about is their cell phone. It's highly likely that if you're a distracted driver, the source of your divided attention is your smartphone.
With all the inherent features of a phone, such as calls and texting, added to the non-stop notifications from email and social media, it's easy to see why having the phone in the car can lead to a driver pulling their attention from the road.
According to Consumeraffairs, since 2015, cell phone ownership has increased 20%. Over 98% of Americans owned a cellphone in 2024, compared with 81% in 2015....and many more chances for those same smartphones to be the source of distracted driving.
With that kind of increase in potential cellphone use while driving, it's no surprise that such a thing as "inattention blindness" occurs in drivers, causing them to be cognitively distracted and unable to react appropriately to things they see on the roadway ahead of them.
We all know that if our phone pings or makes a noise of any kind, we are compelled to pick it up. We do it subconsciously, and it's the equivalent of a 21st-century Pavlovian response.
The good news is that automakers have developed some pretty advanced car safety features to help drivers, distracted or not, be safer on the road.
Here is a list of just a few of the new safety features in cars that you can find in today's vehicles:
Backup Camera
I'm sure many of us can remember a time, not too long ago, when parallel parking was a dreaded scenario. Even backing out of the driveway was a hassle, because no matter how far you turned around in your seat – performing some type of front seat yoga pose—you still couldn't quite see everything.
Many children's mangled bikes, left carelessly in the driveway, were hard proof that being able to see the ground you're driving on is crucial when reversing your vehicle. But thanks to vehicle safety features like back-up cameras, now you don't even need to turn around.
Simply look at the oversized infotainment screen – itself a major blessing – and see the real-time image of the areas behind the car. This is one of the top car safety features, making formerly difficult parking experiences simple and safe.
Lane Departure
Lane departure warning systems are a more advanced safety technology in cars that notifies a driver when they are drifting outside of a lane without a turn signal being engaged. In most vehicles, this shows on the LED dash and is oftentimes accompanied by an audible alarm to get the driver's attention.
Among available safety features in cars, this system relies on a camera to view where the lane markers are. If you get too close to one side of your lane, then get ready to be notified by a light or sound to snap you back to attention.
Lane departure is one of the most helpful vehicle safety features because, aside from helping to prevent a possible side swipe collision, this system can help keep drivers on the road surface. It's one of the many safety features in new cars that keep drivers out of more dangerous scenarios.
Blind Spot Detection
This is another new car safety technology that relies on a camera or a radar sensor to alert the driver to vehicles in adjacent lanes. This system most commonly alerts the driver with a ding and/or a visual queue on the side mirror and LED instrument dashboard. It's just another important vehicle safety technology helping you detect dangers that you might otherwise be unable to see.
Forward Collision Avoidance
A forward collision warning system continuously scans the speed of the vehicle. Using a complex array of sensors, this vehicle safety technology also measures the speed of the vehicle ahead of yours and calculates the distance between the two. If the distance between your vehicle and the one in front closes too quickly, you'll receive an alert to brake.
If the driver does not brake accordingly, these vehicle safety features will apply the brakes automatically to avoid a frontal collision and avert any injury or damage to the cars.
Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (PAEB)
This is one of the more surprisingly useful new car safety features available. Aside from the obvious factor of a pedestrian entering the roadway – let's face it, pedestrians are also distracted while they walk – this system can prevent a driver from striking a pedestrian as they are making a right-hand turn.
Naturally, a driver will look left to make sure they are not turning into traffic, but will let the car make the turn without looking back. In busy intersections, this can be dangerous for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Luckily, the PAEB is a vehicle safety technology that uses cameras or radar sensors to detect a pedestrian. These new safety features in cars automatically apply the brakes to prevent an unfortunate collision.
Side Impact Curtain Air Bags
There once was a time when having an airbag in the steering wheel was all that you had to brag about. Then, a passenger front airbag was added as vehicle safety technology.
And though that was an improvement, the obvious lapse in consideration for other passengers or impacts from the side was impossible to ignore. Fortunately, these omissions have been taken into consideration with the latest innovations in car safety features.
All passengers in the car, not just the front, can now benefit from side curtain airbags. These vehicle safety features offer protection from even the most dreaded of automobile accidents.
But That's Not All
All of these advanced safety features in cars are incredibly beneficial for the well-being of drivers and those around them. However, advanced systems can require advanced repairs.
What if the sensors on your advanced safety systems malfunction? That is going to require some advanced technical repair, and advanced repair usually equates to higher repair costs.
If your vehicle is still under factory warranty, you'll probably be fine, but what if your car isn't?
That's when it is worth it to visit CarShield.com and see the protection plans available that can help cover some of those advanced electrical systems. This way, you'll be able to protect these updated safety features in your car.
Ready to learn more? Find out more about how we keep all features of your vehicle covered today.
