Car Safety Features and What They Mean

Using a forward-pointed camera, this feature recognizes important road signs that the driver should know.

Acting as a backup sight for the driver, it recognizes anything from speed limit signs to railroad crossings, displaying them on the driver’s touchscreen or Head-Up Display.

The Head-Up Display projects important information just below the driver’s line of sight. 

This technology encourages drivers to keep their eyes on the road, potentially preventing accidents and saving lives. HUDs can display speed limits, music tracks, temperature, and incoming calls.

The Lane Departure Warning is engaged when a vehicle begins to drift out of its designated lanes without a turn signal.

It is usually in the form of a beeping noise and is meant to keep drivers aware of their actions and prevent collisions.

While Standard Cruise Control maintains a preset speed, Adaptive Cruise Control reacts to surrounding traffic.

Once turned on, ACC can slow the vehicle to match the car ahead of it, stop the vehicle if a collision is predicted, or reduce speed to manage curves in the road safely.

As of 2007, this feature became mandatory in most new cars. This system relies on a simple sensor located inside each tire.

It tracks the air pressure and warns the driver when the pressure is low. It's essential to keep track of this so your tire doesn't blow out.

Using a rear-pointed camera, this feature is activated when the car is placed in reverse. Meant to aid in backing into or out of a parking space, this feature also helps detect pedestrians.

The backup camera was another feature that was previously just optional, but now it's a gold standard for new automobiles.

This feature uses sensors on either side of the car to detect cars, with the hope of preventing collision. Blind Spot Monitoring helps drivers be aware of their surroundings while on the road.

Some cars connect this feature with a camera view of the blindspot that appears on the driver dash display or the HUD.

Forward Collision Warning uses front-facing cameras and radar to detect cars, pedestrians, and even animals.

Once something is detected, it sends a warning message to the driver. These messages can be tactile, auditory, or visual.

Using sensors placed at the front of the vehicle, High Beam Assist senses cars approaching and automatically adjusts the headlights to be either high beams or low beams.

This safety feature is meant to prevent blinding oncoming traffic with high beams, helping to improve safety when driving at night.

With Park Assist, the vehicle can take control of the motor functions to aid the driver in parking situations.

By using a combination of cameras, sensors, and control over the steering wheel and speed, this feature parks the car while avoiding cars and other objects– all without the driver's help. It is most popularly used to aid drivers in parallel parking.