Besides being designed to pass crash tests, passenger cars and trucks come with many safety features that are required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Added safety features are often a selling point for many car buyers. The NHTSA and the IIHS conduct safety tests; the results of these tests are used by consumer magazines such as Consumer Reports for vehicle safety ratings.
Airbags
Airbags are standard today and have changed over the years to reflect the new science that comes from testing. Airbags in new cars use less inflation, which is thought to reduce injury. They also use crash sensors to adjust the force of the airbag. Newer airbags also deploy from the side instead of from the front of the vehicle; the older ones were found to be more dangerous. There are also side airbags to protect the head in accidents involving rollovers. In newer cars, sensors detect a rollover and keep the airbag inflated for a longer period. Most front passenger airbags also come with cutoff switches for the safety of small children, or for rear-facing car seats.
Head Restraints
An ideal headrest can help prevent whiplash and reduce head and neck injuries. Headrests are sometimes lacking in the rear of the vehicle where accident-related head and neck injuries are more likely. Many cars also do not have a headrest in the middle seating position, but it is becoming more common to include headrests in all seating positions. Lacking headrests in any seating position leaves the passenger more vulnerable to serious injury, especially in a rear-end crash.
Child Safety Seats
Many newer cars come with integrated child safety seats that easily fold out for use and back again. One disadvantage to having a built-in child seat is that it is not rear-facing, which is the safest way for a small child to travel. These seats also cannot be removed for either transporting the child to another vehicle or carrying a sleeping child inside. Portable seats are also more convenient in an emergency or accident, where it would be safer and more convenient for police and other first responders to remove the child with the seat. These seats are also not adjustable, and they rarely provide any impact protection. Although they are always properly installed, unlike portable child safety seats, the harnesses are sometimes difficult to adjust, and that could lead to an unsafe fit for the child. Many newer cars are equipped with tethers to secure child safety seats. These are often preferable for comfort, and the tethers make it easier to be in compliance regarding installation.
0 comments:
Post a Comment