It is a matter of vital importance for car shoppers and owners to understand how modern vehicle safety features work. Safety features can save lives and prevent auto accidents. Automatic braking, pedestrian detection systems, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring are a few examples. Unfortunately, many car salespeople and vehicle owners do not know how these safety features work.

This is especially problematic if you are car shopping. A study from MIT sent undercover researchers to 18 Boston-area dealerships to quiz salespeople on their knowledge of modern safety features. Only six of the 17 salespeople gave thorough summaries of how these features work. Two of the salespeople gave the undercover researchers incorrect information that could have gotten people injured or killed.

What good are these safety features if you do not know how to use them? Fortunately, there are tools that can help you understand how these features work.

How to Conduct Research on Vehicle Safety Features

The National Safety Council and the University of Iowa want you to know how to use safety features, so they launched MyCarDoesWhat.org. This website allows car shoppers and vehicle owners to meticulously research safety features used in their vehicles.

The website’s search tool lets you to select the auto manufacturer of the vehicle you plan to buy, or already own, and links you to the user manual and safety features found on the manufacturer’s website.

MyCarDoesWhat also has a dropdown menu for various safety features. If you were to select ‘forward collision prevention’, the website would give you a rundown of various types of forward collision systems, such as pedestrian and bicycle detection. It would also allow you to choose additional categories, such as automatic emergency braking, left-turn crash avoidance and brake assistance.

Let’s say for example, you were to select automatic emergency braking. You would have the option of watching a short video of how the technology works, common questions about the feature, and tips for getting the maximum benefits from automatic emergency braking. MyCarDoesWhat continues to add more information each month, and some safety features may have more details than others.

There are also other tools you can use for researching vehicle safety features. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) regularly releases crash test ratings and studies on vehicle safety. Our blog will continue updating you on how to use these tools. We will also continue to post our own guides on how to maximize your safety while driving.

The motor vehicle accident attorneys at Metier Law Firm, LLC encourage you to stay informed on auto recalls and to drive safely.