SANTA MONICA, Calif. /BUSINESS WIRE/ -- Car accidents are a leading cause of injury and fatality for Americans. Automakers and their suppliers are continually developing and introducing new features that combat the most common—and most dangerous—causes of car accidents. In a recent study by TRW Automotive Inc., 74% of respondents said vehicle safety features and options are more important to them than they were five years ago.
Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, announced the top 10 safety technologies consumers should look for the next time they go car shopping:
- Tire pressure monitoring—Sensors at the wheel trigger an audible warning or light (or both) on the instrument panel when air pressure is low. The National Highway Safety Administration requires that starting in the 2008 model year every passenger vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or less be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system.
- Adaptive cruise control/collision mitigation—The new cruise control feature, employing sensors and radar, can adjust the throttle and brakes to keep the vehicle a safe distance from other traffic.
- Blind-spot detection/side-assist/collision warning—To alert the driver to cars or objects in the blind spot during driving or parking, this warning system responds when the turn signal is used.
- Lane-departure warning/wake-you-up safety—Similar to the blind-spot/side-assist technology but with more range, this system judges an approaching vehicle's speed and distance to warn the driver of a potential danger in the next lane and can warn the driver who drifts over the lane line.
- Rollover prevention/mitigation—This technology avoids potential rollovers by applying the brake and modulating the throttle as needed to help the driver maintain control of the vehicle.
- Occupant-sensitive/dual-stage airbags—Airbag-deployment speed is based on the current occupant in each seat, as sensors take into account size, weight, seat-belt usage, seating position, the presence of a child seat, and vehicle speed.
- Emergency brake assist/collision mitigation—This technology recognizes when the driver makes a panic stop and applies additional quick brake pressure to help shorten the stopping distance.
- Adaptive headlights/night vision assist—Adaptive headlights turn to follow and illuminate the road in the direction of the vehicle as it turns, and night vision assist helps the driver see further down dark roads.
- Rearview camera—The camera works with the navigation system to increase visibility during rearward motion, such as parking and backing up.
- Emergency response—Different emergencies require different responses. This system determines the necessary course of action and can turn on the interior lights, unlock doors, shut off the fuel flow, switch on hazard lights, disconnect the battery terminal from the alternator, and make crash details available to emergency personnel.
To learn more about these features, including the automakers that offer them and their prices, view the full article on Edmunds.com's Top 10 High-Tech Car Safety Technologies.
About Edmunds.com, Inc.
Edmunds.com is the premier online resource for automotive information. Its comprehensive set of data, tools, and services is generated by Edmunds.com Information Solutions and is licensed to third parties and used by over 15,000 cars dealers, including 98 of the 100 dealers named to the Ward's Dealer Business "e-Dealer 100" list. Perhaps the most popular consumer product, Edmunds.com True Market Value pricing is relied on by millions of people seeking market-reflective valuations for new and used vehicles. The company also supplies content for the auto sections of NYTimes.com, AOL, CNN.com, and About.com; provides weekly data to Automotive News; and delivers monthly data reports to Wall Street analysts. In addition, Edmunds.com publishes Inside Line, a free high-speed online magazine for auto enthusiasts, and CarSpace, an automotive lifestyle social networking Web site for anyone with an interest in automobiles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site," according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study, was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal, and was rated number one in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.