The Best Car Safety Tech Features for Your New or Used Car
How a Low-Mileage Used Car from Major World Can Make Driving Safer
How safe is your current vehicle? Are you taking advantage of the latest advances in car safety technology? Upgrading your current ride to a low-mileage used SUV or luxury car from Major World can not only have you rolling in style — it could keep you and your family safer too.
In 2024, most new and used vehicle buyers expect solid crash safety as a given. They know they will get at least two airbags (usually it’s 6-8 now). ABS brakes are always included and since 2014 or so, the federal government has required rear-view cameras.
But that stuff is old hat now. The modern low-mileage vehicles in our inventory boast many of the newer car safety technologies that can make a critical difference in a car accident.
A low-mileage used care from Major World can make you safer by:
- Getting you out of an older vehicle with fewer safety features.
- Putting you behind the wheel of a used car with more advanced safety features.
- Finding you a vehicle that also has better crash safety than what you drive now.
This Major World article is about the best of the newer technology found in new and used cars today. Which features are worth the money and which should you skip?
The Evolution of Safety Technology in New and Used Cars
One of the key areas where technology has made great strides in new and used SUVs, cars, and trucks is safety. We’ll be the first to admit that safety technology in cars may not be the sexiest item on the window sticker— but what price can you put on peace of mind? People expect their vehicles to be safe in an accident these days and they expect safety tech to be there to help.
Auto manufacturers have done what they always do — which is respond to consumer demand. So along with all the killer sound systems and ICE features, ambient colored lighting, and next-gen navigation systems — carmakers have poured tons of money into car safety tech. What’s better is this trend really kicked in big time about 10 years ago, so it’s easy to find a low-mileage used car with many, if not most of these features now at Major World.
The Major Safety Tech Features to Consider for Your Next Vehicle
Any vehicle sold in the U.S. in the past 10 years is going to have front and side airbags (at minimum), ABS braking, and a rearview camera with a screen. Just about every one of them will have 4 or 5 stars for its overall crash safety rating from the NHTSA too.
But automakers have been developing and perfecting new car safety technology more than ever in a bid to keep their competitive edge. Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler all have made big leaps in just the last 5 years.
The focus on car safety began in Europe with Volvo in the 1970s & 80s, so it should be no surprise that they, along with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi have some of the best safety tech in their new and used cars built within the last 5-6 years.
Here are the best newer safety features found in new and used cars and SUVs:
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB):
The fact is that no matter how good of a driver you are, you can’t brake faster than a computer can. Research has also shown that many people don’t hit the brakes hard enough to avoid or limit a crash. This means that without AEB, a lot of avoidable crashes are likely still happening.
AEB systems detect an impending collision with another vehicle, pedestrian, or obstacle and automatically apply the brakes — if the driver fails to respond in time. These AEB systems can also apply emergency braking harder than the driver might (in proportion to speed and distance). Automatic Emergency Braking has no doubt reduced rear-end collisions and saved some lives already.
Blind Spot Detection (BSD):
Blind Spot Detection or BSD has avoided thousands of accidents already. Mirrors aren’t perfect in any vehicle and neither are drivers. BSD monitors those areas you can’t see and alerts you before you can make a lane change.
This not only saves a lot of neck swiveling and extra mirror checking, but it also sees stuff you can’t and lets you focus on the road ahead (you should STILL check your mirrors though). We recommend looking for BSD in your next vehicle, especially if you do a lot of highway driving.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA):
LDW alerts you when you start to drift out of your lane without signaling. Lane Keep Assist or LKA takes LDA to the next level because it also automatically steers your vehicle car back into the lane if you don’t respond to the initial warning.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Blind Spot Detection (BSD) are often found bundled together, with or without LKA in newer used cars and the models fresh out of the factory. Anyone who has this car safety tech in their current vehicle probably has at least one story about how it saved their bacon.
Surround View Systems & Cameras:
Rear-view cameras with in-dash screens have been required in the U.S. since around 2014. But that was just the beginning. Surround view camera systems have taken this idea to the next level. Surround-view systems offer a 360-degree bird’s-eye view around the vehicle, aiding in parking and low-speed maneuvering, such as trailering. It’s one of the most useful driver assistance technologies we’ve seen.
Some new and used luxury SUVs and trucks even have low-mounted cameras that can help you see the surface you’re driving over. This feature is more targeted at dedicated off-road and overlanding enthusiasts who want to be able to spot sharp rocks or obstacles and find the best path — but you have to admit it’s pretty cool to have, even if you just use it to show off to your friends.
Pedestrian Detection Systems:
Pedestrian safety first became a car safety trend in Europe where tightly-packed busy cities and medieval street maps frequently put people and vehicles in conflict. The EU even has stricter standards on the shape and design of the vehicle’s front-end to protect pedestrians in a collision
While those haven’t caught on as much in the U.S., the Pedestrian Detection Systems have. These systems alert the driver to the presence of pedestrians in the vehicle’s path and some can sync with AEB systems to automatically apply the brakes you from hitting a pedestrian. We think these systems are worth considering if you drive in the city. If you don’t, then it’s nice to have, but hardly a deal breaker.
Anti-Skid Assistance/Electronic Stability Control (ESC):
Anti-skid and stability control systems have been around for at least 20 years, so they are found on most used cars and SUVs. These systems use your car’s ABS to prevent slips, slides, and skids. If your vehicle begins to slide or spin, Electronic Stability Control can straighten it out on the road in real time and help you maintain or regain control. But technology rarely sits still in any sector, and that includes cars and trucks.
Anti-skid, traction control, and ESC are far more advanced than they were just a few years ago. Once seen as separate systems, they are now part of a “safety suite” like Toyota Safety Sense™, for example. All the systems are integrated, talking to each other and working together. It’s not hard to see how that could make a huge difference in bad weather or an emergency handling situation. It makes the difference between avoiding a crash or even a rollover accident.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC):
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) has been around for a little while too. ACC adjusts your vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe following distance from the car ahead. The idea is that you can set cruise control on a long drive without worrying about getting “road hypnosis” or zoning out and hitting a car in front of you.
You’d be surprised how many accidents like that happen. This is a safety technology that was a long time coming. It’s also a good example of a car technology that had some teething problems in the beginning. The first generation of ACC systems didn’t always behave the way they should. Sometimes they’d brake too abruptly or act erratically. All of that has been dialed out of the systems you’ll find in the low-mileage used cars at Major World that have this technology.
Traffic Sign Recognition:
Traffic Sign Recognition is one of the more subtle safety technologies that has sort of appeared in new and used cars, SUVs, and trucks in more recent years without much notice. The idea is simple. You’ve already got forward-facing cameras, right? Why not use technology to put them to use identifying traffic signs? Your vehicle’s computer can then display the information on your gauge cluster and/or your heads-up windshield display.
Traffic Sign Recognition helps you keep your eye on the posted speed limit and can keep you from missing important signs or warnings. One of the best things about it is that it helps you keep your eyes on the road. Unlike many of the non-safety-related car technologies we’ve seen recently, Traffic Sign Recognition not only doesn’t distract you, it helps you focus on driving.
Dual-Stage Airbags:
When most of us think of the airbags in our vehicles it doesn’t occur to us that they can actually cause injury — even when they’re working as designed. We’re not talking about malfunctioning of recalled airbags. We mean older airbags, also called the Supplemental Restraint System or SRS. The system in your vehicle may not have the latest tech that makes airbags safer.
The new or used cars you’ll find at Major World in Queens feature modern dual-stage airbag systems. These airbag systems do everything yours do — but more crucially, they can adjust the speed and force the airbags are deployed at based on the severity of the crash, whether the occupants are wearing seat belts, and even how much the passenger weighs. This simple advance makes a real difference in reducing airbag injuries in a car crash.
Major World for High-Quality Low Mileage Used Cars and SUVs
At Major World, our focus is on delivering value for our customers. We do it by sourcing the best used SUVs, cars, and trucks we can find from across the country. We do it by selling our used cars and trucks at extremely competitive prices.
But helping you find the right vehicle at the right price is only part of the picture. We also work hard to give our customers the best experience possible by providing a quick and easy financing portal and publishing informative, relevant articles like this one.
All of the above is what makes Major World a cut above any other used car dealership in New York — maybe even the whole country. We invite you to come down to our showroom and test-drive some of the exceptional vehicles in our inventory.
Check out our exceptional inventory via our online search portal. We offer a simple, no-nonsense financing process that you can start online before you even get here (it won’t impact your credit either!).
Don’t settle for less than the very best used car dealership in Long Island. You deserve the Major World standard of customer care. Give us a call now at (866) 614-2884.
