5 Car Safety Features Dads Look for to Keep Their Kids Safe

Before you became a dad, what you probably wanted most from a car was a stereo system capable of rattling house windows down the block. You also probably wanted a vehicle that could go from zero to sixty in four seconds.

But things change when you hold your infant son or daughter for the first time. Now, you’re probably vehicle shopping based more on IIHS safety records than speed and style.

It should please you to know that car safety features have come out over the past couple of decades that can protect your kids like never before. Here are some upgrades you should look for that can protect your loved ones and yourself.

Lane Departure Warning

There’s probably no need to ever seek an auto accident attorney if you get a vehicle fully loaded with safety features. One of the first ones you should look for these days is a lane departure alert system. These systems:

• Are great for keeping you in your lane
• Come with a camera under the car which monitors the vehicle’s position
• Alert you with a noise, vibrating steering wheel, or flashing light when you’re veering out of your lane

Your child might be great at distracting you with the variety of noises that they make. You want to keep your eyes on the road at all times, but it’s hard not to glance back there to check on them.

The lane departure alert system on modern vehicles can keep you traveling safe and true toward your destination.

Backup Camera

Many vehicles also come with backup cameras now. These cameras:

• Automatically activate when you put the car in reverse
• Notify you with a loud beeping noise if you’re about to collide with something

If you’re trying to back into a narrow parking space, you’ll want this feature. It’s also useful if you’re backing out of your driveway, and a neighbourhood kid or dog decides to run behind you right at that moment.

You can’t always predict what’s about to appear behind you, but a backup camera makes it a lot more likely you can stop in time. It’s another way to keep your kids safe when you go for a car ride with them.

Automatic Emergency Braking

When you think about how useful automatic emergency braking is, you’ll probably wish they had it in cars when you were younger and first learning to drive.

Automatic emergency braking is just what it sounds like: it’s a car sensor system that detects when you’re about to hit something ahead of you. You might not have quite the reaction time it takes to stop before you plow into whatever it is.

Think of the damage that might do to yourself or your infant in the back, strapped into their car seat. Automatic emergency braking stops many car accidents from happening, and it’s well worth shopping for a more modern car for this feature alone.

Blind Spot Detection

Like lane departure alert systems, blind-spot detection is there to let you know when there’s possible danger occurring. In this case, it’s telling you there is an object in one of your vehicle’s blinds spots.

You might be in the habit of changing lanes without checking your blind spot every time, and if you do that with a child in the car, it can be disastrous. This system gives you an auditory and visual warning when there’s a vehicle next to you, or another object large enough to trip the sensor.

You should always be in the habit of checking your blind spot anyway, but this vehicle feature lets you know whenever there’s something near enough that it warrants your attention.

Adaptive Cruise Control

Cruise control has existed for several years, but this new adaptive version that comes with some cars is the most advanced yet. It lets you set the cruise control on the highway as you normally would.

Then, it adjusts depending on the traffic pattern ahead of you. You don’t need to change it if more traffic appears in front of you, or less. That’s very convenient.

As a new father, or even if you’ve had kids for years, you know that you’d do anything for them. Your priorities change once you have them, and that’s not a bad thing.

The paternal instinct is strong, and taking care of your offspring as best you can when they’re in the car is one of the most fundamental things that you can do.