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Safety Features to Look for In a Used Car

Looking for a used car, SUV, or truck? Pay attention to those safety features! Budget is an important factor, but never sacrifice safety for a less expensive option. Here we go over the most important safety features that you should look for in a used vehicle.

Safety-Belts: The most important safety feature to look for are of course, seatbelts – especially if your intent is to purchase a family vehicle. Even better, look for safety-belt systems that may include adjustable upper anchors (help position the seatbelt over the chest which can prevent neck injuries), safety-belt pretensioners (take up slack of a seatbelt in the event of a frontal impact), and fore limiters (manages the force that the shoulder belt has on the chest area).

Airbags: Always check to see what kind of airbags (and how many) come with the used vehicle you are looking at. Head-protecting side airbags and “smart” frontal airbags are incredibly important. When possible, also go for a vehicle with side airbags. They protect heads from potential glass debris as well as ejections from the vehicle should an accident occur.

Stability Control: This is an electronic system that keeps vehicles from skidding out of control and staying on its intended path – perfect for our rainy days in Florida. It also helps prevents potential rollovers in larger vehicles like SUVs or trucks.

Antilock Brakes: An antilock brake system (ABS) prevents a vehicle’s wheels from locking after emergency braking and allows the driver to maintain steering control – a key factor in avoiding a collision. Some ABS systems include brake assist which senses emergency braking by detecting the speed or force at which a driver presses the brake. Certain brake assist systems will also reach the braking force needed to activate the ABS quickly and easily and potentially reduce overall stopping distance.

Head Restraints: These are extensions of the vehicle’s seats that limit head movement during a rear-impact crash and potentially reduce the chances of neck injury. Specific size and strengths of head restraints are required in front seats, but not in the rear seats. Dynamic restraints, as opposed to manual, provide the best protection in the event of a collision.

Advanced Safety Features: Once you’ve checked basic safety features such as seatbelts and airbags off your list, consider looking into advanced safety features. These can include blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, a rearview camera, and even driver fatigue systems which alert you if you are nodding off!

Safety should be a top priority during the car buying process and should never be compromised. At Car Credit, we offer a wide selection of safe, quality used cars, SUVs, and trucks at any of our four Tampa Bay locations. Start your used car search today and give us a call at 888-314-4469!

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