Safety Upgrades You Should Make to Your Car

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If you are driving a car that is more than a few years old, or if you have just purchased a used car, the chances are that your vehicle does not have all of the safety features that are available on today’s new cars. Thankfully, many of these upgrades can be made even on older cars and will significantly increase the safety of your ride.

Upgrade your tires

Tires are the only part of your car that touches the road, and for that reason, no matter whether your car is brand new with high-tech anti-lock brakes and traction control or is ten years old without any of that technology, your ability to stop ultimately depends on the quality of your tires.  For that reason, tires are one of the most effective safety upgrades you can make if you want to significantly increase the safety and also the performance of your car.  Buy the best tires you can afford.  If you are planning to hold onto your car for a few years then tires with a longer-lasting tread are worth the investment.

Sway Bars

The installation of a sway bar allows you to make the most out of a good set of tires.  Sway bars, also known as “anti-roll bars” contribute to the suspension system of your car by stiffening the chassis and providing a solid connection of the left and right sides of the car.  This means that corning is improved with reduced changes of rolling over in a tight curve.  Be sure to install them on both the front and the back of the car, and don´t mix brands.

Backup Camera System

Not only do back up camera systems reduce the possibility of accidents, but they also make parallel parking much easier.  Sadly, it is not uncommon for children or other pedestrians to be hurt by people backing out of their driveways, and so this is a very important and life-saving upgrade. You can look for a wireless rear view camera system that is easily installed with a minimum of time, effort or required skill.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Mitigation

This technology will help you to maintain a safe distance between yourself and the car ahead of you by slowing your vehicle automatically if you get too close.  It will also send you an alert if it senses an object ahead of your car, and will even automatically apply the brakes to stop your car if you don’t respond to the alert.  It only takes a moment to become distracted, and this technology prevents that momentary distraction from resulting in an accident.

Parking Sensors

Parking sensors use electromagnetic or ultrasonic sensors to detect unsafe distances between your car and objects around it, and will beep to alert you.  They don’t detect moving traffic, but will definitely help you avoid hitting parked cars, hydrants or low barrier walls.

Driving an older vehicle does not necessarily mean you cannot benefit from latest advances in safety technology.  Many of the most important safety features can be added to your car with relatively little expense or time.