Car Safety Features That Actually Matter When You Buy

When buying a car, it’s easy to focus on screens, sunroofs and leather. Safety equipment rarely gets the same attention in the showroom, even though it matters most. Here’s what to look for.

The essentials

• Airbags: at least front airbags, ideally side and curtain airbags too.
• ABS: anti lock brakes help you steer while braking hard.
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC): one of the most important safety technologies ever introduced, it helps prevent skids and rollovers. Many safety groups consider it essential.
• Seatbelt reminders for all seats.
• ISOFIX mounts for secure child seats.

Driver assistance (ADAS)

• Automatic emergency braking: can brake if a collision is imminent.
• Blind spot monitoring: very useful on crowded roads with motorbikes.
• Lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control: help on motorways, though Pakistani lane markings and traffic can confuse them.
• 360 degree cameras and parking sensors: handy in tight streets.

These are aids, not autopilots. Keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

Check crash test ratings

Organisations such as Euro NCAP, ASEAN NCAP and Global NCAP crash test cars and publish star ratings. A car’s rating can differ between markets because the same model may have different safety equipment in different countries. Check the rating for the version sold in Pakistan if one exists, and compare the equipment list.

Safety for families

• Use a proper child seat, fitted correctly, every time.
• Children are safest in the back seat.
• Never put a rear facing child seat in front of an active airbag.

The bottom line

When comparing two cars, give safety features the same weight as comfort and price. Airbags, ESC and good crash ratings are worth more than any infotainment screen.

Sources

• Global NCAP, crash test ratings
• Euro NCAP, safety ratings