Car safety today goes way beyond seatbelts and airbags. New vehicles offer an incredible range of sensors, alert systems, cameras, and even automated driving tools to help keep you safe and secure on the road. Here are some key safety features to look for when buying a new car:
Backup Camera
A backup camera is basically a bread-and-butter car feature these days. It’s almost more concerning if a car doesn’t have one. They’re so ubiquitous at this point that many cars don’t even list them among their features: It’s practically implied. A backup camera comes standard on practically every Toyota model and trim level, so you never have to worry about backing out in a busy Morristown parking lot.
Rear Cross-Traffic Warning
One of the newer high-tech tools that recent car models offer is the rear cross-traffic warning. This system uses that backup camera and enhances its capabilities: While the monitor just shows you if there’s anything directly behind your car, a rear cross-traffic warning will tell you if anything is about to cross into your car’s path as you’re backing out.
Blind-Spot Monitoring
Almost every car has blind spots: No matter how well it’s engineered or how you position your mirrors, there’s going to be a small sliver of the road over either of your shoulders that you just can’t completely see. To counter that, manufacturers have designed blind-spot monitoring systems that can detect when other cars are passing through that blind spot and issue a subtle alert. It’s particularly useful when switching lanes on a multi-lane highway, like the Garden State Parkway or NJ Turnpike.
Automatic Braking
Even the best drivers don’t have the reaction time that a computer possesses, and that’s why the digital brain inside most new Toyota models offers automatic pre-collision braking. If an impending obstacle is detected, the brakes will automatically begin to be applied. It won’t necessarily prevent every collision, but it’ll get you a head start on getting the car stopped, and it could lessen the dangers of a collision by decreasing the speed it occurs at.
Lane-Keeping Assist
There are two types of lane-keeping systems in use today: Warnings that will signal to you that you’re drifting out of your lane, and actual automated lane keep assist systems that will steer your vehicle back into its lane. In new Toyota models, that’s called Lane Tracing Assist–and both types of lane tools are available on many new Toyotas as part of the Toyota Safety Sense suite.
Shop Toyota Models in Morristown
If you’re looking for a smart and safe new car, there’s no better choice than a new Toyota, many of which can be equipped with all of these features and more. Check out our selection at Toyota of Morristown, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any selection about our inventory!