8 of the Latest Car Safety Features You Need to Know About

It’s not unusual for an affordable new car or SUV to come standard with safety features that would have been only seen on premium vehicles a few years ago. From AEB systems to adaptive cruise control, these modern safety marvels are now must-haves, rather than just luxuries.

Aimed at averting accidents before they happen, here are eight of the latest car safety features you need to know about for that extra peace of mind behind the wheel.

1. Forward collision

A forward collision warning system, also called AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) uses radar, lasers, and cameras to measure the speed and distance of any obstacle in front of your car, e.g. other vehicles, pedestrians, or larger animals, and employs an automatic braking system to assist in preventing accidents. If a collision is likely, the system will sound a warning and, if needed, deploy the brakes with the aid of an autonomous emergency braking system to slow or stop the car.

The best part about the forward collision car safety technology is that it can automatically apply the brakes without driver intervention, should your attention be focused elsewhere. 

2. Blind Spot Monitoring

Blind spot monitoring (BSM) is another clever car safety feature that helps keep you safe behind the wheel especially when changing lanes. This system detects objects in your blind spots using radar, infrared, or ultrasonic sensors. When activated, these sensors emit beams of sound waves that bounce off nearby objects and return to the sensor. The system then analyses the reflected signals to determine whether anything is in your blind spot.

If there is a car coming up beside you, the blind spot monitor icon flashes in the side mirror and when you are indicating it sounds a warning alarm. In some vehicles, this feature shows as a live video of the blind spot on the infotainment system in the car. 

3. Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist

Lane departure warning (LDW) is one of the most active safety features in cars and especially helpful with instances of driver inattention. It uses a camera near the rearview mirror to recognise most lane markers on the road. The LDW system will provide visual, audible, and tactile alarms through the steering wheel or gentle seat vibrations to alert you when your car approaches or crosses lane markings.

That's not all; if you drift out of the lane while driving, you’ll get a warning from your dashboard - a sound or feel of the steering wheel or seat vibrating. If you fail to notice all these warnings, the lane-keeping assistant will automatically steer your car gently back to the lane via the electronic power steering system.

If you need to override the lane keep assistance, slightly turn the wheel.

These two features rely on clear and visible painted lane markings to operate effectively. If the roadway is covered with snow, leaves, fog or debris, the camera may not be able to detect the lane markings on the road.

4. Weaving Alert

Weave alert borrows some of the sensors from lane departure warning systems to track lane markings and how often you depart from your lane over a short period of time to determine if you may be drowsy and need to take a break.

If you are weaving from side to side, you will get visual warnings on your dash, vibrations of the steering wheel or seat, as well as a loud beeping alarm. All of these alerts are designed to wake you up and prevent you from having an accident

5. Adaptive Cruise Control

Adaptive cruise control is an intelligent cruise control system that allows your vehicle to speed up and slow down automatically to maintain pace with the traffic ahead without manually using the brakes or accelerator pedals. It uses a laser or radar system mounted within the front of the car to constantly scan the road ahead of you for other vehicles and obstacles.

Once you've set your speed and the traffic slows down, the adaptive cruise control system adjusts your speed according to the distance between your car and the vehicle in front. It does this by adjusting the throttle position, resulting in less fuel consumption and lower emissions.

In some vehicles, adaptive cruise control can bring the car to a complete stop and recommence once the traffic in front starts moving again. To deactivate, simply apply pressure to the brake pedal at any time.

6. Speed Limiter

A speed limiter is a smart safety feature that helps prevent speeding by restricting your car’s speed up to the maximum speed you set. While cruise control maintains your speed at the same level, with the speed limiter you brake and accelerate as normal but your vehicle won’t go any faster than the selected speed.  

Sensors in your vehicle detect the speed at which your car is moving and then relay the information to the engine's computer. When the limit is reached, the computer prevents fuel and airflow into the engine. That means the car won't go any faster than the set speed. 

However, the driver still has complete control over the vehicle. Simply override the system by pressing the accelerator pedal with a firm quick action.

7. Parking Sensors

Parking sensors are one of the most helpful safety features especially when it comes to parking and reversing confidently.  They use ultrasonic proximity sensors in the bumpers, either in the front, rear or both, to determine how close another car or object is behind or in front of your car. 

When activated, the parking sensor controller sends out audible warnings and the intervals between beeps become shorter the closer the car is to an object. Low-toned beeps indicate objects are detected near the rear bumper while high-toned, continuous beeps indicate objects are detected near the front bumper. Some sensors even send a signal to the rearview mirror or dash and a visible warning appears.

Objects that are flat on the ground, below the bumper, too close to the car, or too far from it may not be seen with the parking sensors, so always check your surroundings.

8. Rear Cross Traffic Alert

Rear cross traffic alert is another useful tool when backing out of a driveway that might be obscured by bushes, fences or another car or when you are reversing out of a parking space and you cannot see cars that may be coming from the left or right.

The vehicle uses two side radar sensors on the rear of the car to detect vehicles approaching from the left and right. A warning tone and flashing light on the mirrors or dash alert the driver to stop.

This system only works when you are backing straight out of a space or driveway. They don’t work as well in angled parking spots as they may only see other vehicles on one side.

When you are shopping for your next new car, be sure to look for vehicles with these safety must-haves. These systems are designed to help you avoid accidents and keep you and your families safe. And, as always, there's no better safety measure than staying calm, remaining 100% attentive on the road and adhering to all New Zealand traffic laws.

At Suzuki NZ, we want to ensure every New Zealander drives safely and legally. We offer a wide range of top-quality yet affordable cars and SUVs that are equipped with these latest safety features. So be sure to grab our Guide to Buying a New Car to make your next purchase a smart one!