With improved features, it’s a braver, safer new world
Vehicle safety used to begin and end with seat belts, air bags, and crash-test scores. But nowadays the discussion includes an incredible array of new technologies, everything from lane-deviation sensors to pre-collision controls and blind-spot alarms.
More important, such safety advances are trickling down from the $70,000, luxury-car set to more mid- and low-end models, or so it seemed when I toured this month’s New England International Auto Show.
“The auto makers compete on safety,’’ said Wade Newton, safety spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an industry trade group. “So you are seeing them really push that as hard as they can and bring the most safety features to the most products because, at the end of the day, that’s such an important part of what the consumer considers.’’
Advanced safety features also diminish the perception that small, fuel-efficient cars are less safe than bulkier vehicles, said Ray Ciccolo, owner of the Village Automotive Group, headquartered in Brighton, and state director of the National Automotive Dealers Association.
Starting in 2011, the incentive for manufacturers to add safety features will be even greater, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - the agency that determines vehicle safety ratings - will be giving out bonus points for such features as electronic stability control, forward-collision warning, and lane-departure warning.
All this means that the next time you buy a car, you’re likely to be hit with a flurry of unfamiliar safety terms. So here’s a vocabulary list to bring you up to speed on the current state of safety features. Just be aware that these are generic terms and that manufacturers often market features under their own catchy names. Lane-departure warnings
Should you accidentally veer from your lane of traffic because of distraction or sleepiness, your vehicle will sense that you’re off course and sound an alarm. Stay-in-lane systems
Instead of a bell ringing when you begin to veer, your vehicle actually nudges itself back in the right direction. The correction is very slight; a bell also sounds to let you know you’ve got to straighten out the car. Blind-spot technology
With this feature, the car detects a vehicle that enters your blind spot and issues a warning - red lights flash on your side mirrors, your steering wheel vibrates, etc. - telling you not to switch lanes. Heads-up displays
Why look down at your dashboard when video versions of your speedometer and gas gauge can be projected onto the lower half of your windshield? The idea behind this feature is that it’s safer to keep your eyes on the road. Face-recognition monitors
Like in a science-fiction movie, right? Hardly. With Lexus’ version, a steering wheel camera snaps a profile of your head position when driving. Should you fall asleep and begin to nod, the computer reacts to your changed position with warning bells. SOS buttons
These one-touch buttons mimic 911 calls and put you in touch with emergency responders, much like GM’s well-known OnStar feature. A popular feature among 2010 show models. Forward-collision warnings
With FCW systems, your car emits radar signals to measure the distance to the vehicle (or object) ahead of you. If you’re getting too close, warnings sound in the car. I test-drove a
The idea is that even if you crash, your car can do things to minimize further damage. The fuel pump is automatically shut off; doors automatically unlock; cabin lights come on. “Even before glass hits the ground from a crash the computer will turn the car’s hazard’’ lights on, a
Instead of just setting your cruise control to a certain speed, these systems calculate a safe distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. When they slow down or speed up, your car reacts accordingly, including emergency braking. Seatbelt pretensioners
A “pyrotechnic explosion’’ reels in your seatbelt a fraction of a second before a crash, pulling your body tight against your seat. That way, you won’t be leaning into the path of a deploying airbag. If belts have “load-limiter’’ technology, they’ll give out slightly after impact to further minimize injury. Active head restraints
Headrests are out: Head restraints are in. “In the event of a collision, the head restraint is actually going to come up a couple of centimeters and cushion the back of your head,’’ said a
This feature senses when you’re not applying enough pressure to the brakes - as with a panic stop - and boosts braking power accordingly. Pre-collision systems
There’s a wide range here. Seatbelt pretensioners, active head restraints, and augmented braking are among them, but your vehicle might also have advances such as anti-rollover technology. “If the system senses a potential rollover (such as if you whip around a corner too fast or swerve sharply), it will apply the brakes and modulate throttle as needed to help you maintain control,’’ according to www.edmunds.com. Parking assistance
Rearview cameras are commonplace. Other systems sound bells or display warning lights when you’re too close to a wall or solid object. Antilock brakes
ABS brakes have been around for some time now, so fortunately, lots of cars have them. I’d recommend viewing Consumer Reports’ stunning video (www.consumerreports.org) on how ABS lets you steer while braking. It’s one of the two most important safety features a car can have, says CR. Electronic stability control
And this is the other. With ESC, the computer senses when an individual wheel is skidding and applies brakes to just that wheel. The federal government is requiring all cars and light trucks to have ESC by 2012, but Newton said that more than 80 percent already have it. Airbags
Can’t forget these. So many advances, and so many more in new cars. Head-area airbags, rear-occupant airbags, airbags for knees . . . the list goes on.
Somerville resident Peter DeMarco can be reached at demarco@globe.com. He also updates a Facebook page, “WhotaughtYOUtodrive?’’ 
