In recent years, more and more vehicles at all types of price ranges have been equipped with an array of advanced driver assistance systems as standard equipment. Research from the Highway Safety Insurance Institute and other organizations has shown that these functions can help you get your attention, and may even help avoid or reduce the severity of the collision.
However, shopping for a used car can be difficult. For example, a seven-year-old vehicle may have one or two functions as standard and several more functions as optional equipment. If you are using it, how do you know what to look for? Edmunds automotive experts will detail the features you think you need to know most and provide advice on how to determine if your next used car purchase has them.
Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking
Anterior Collision Warning is an advanced driving aid that can use audio or visual cues to alert the driver if the system detects a possible or imminent frontal collision. The system can generally detect stationary or moving vehicles, and as the number increases, it can detect pedestrians and cyclists. If the vehicle is fast approaching the detected object, the system will issue a warning.
Automatic emergency braking adds another layer of driver assistance. It uses the same sensors used for forward collision warnings. If the driver does not respond to the warning in time, the vehicle can automatically brake before a collision occurs to slow the vehicle down, stop, or at least reduce the severity of the impact.
Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert
These are two separate features, but many automakers routinely bring them together in a specific trim level or optional package. Blind Spot Warning could be one of the most familiar advanced driver AIDS. Like other systems listed here, it relies on a variety of sensors to let the driver know if the vehicle is invisible. In many cases, warnings are communicated with a visual cue located or nearby, along with some form of audible warning.
When you reverse the vehicle, a cross-traffic alert will be activated at the rear. The system emits audible and visual warnings if there is an approach where something or someone is not detected from either side. This is valuable, for example, if you flip from the parking lot and an otherwise invisible vehicle is immediately approaching from either side.
Reverse automatic braking
One relatively new feature in this lineup of advanced driver AIDS recommended by Edmunds is to apply reverse automatic emergency braking to the brakes when the vehicle’s sensor array detects an imminent collision with something just behind it. An important advantage is that the driver will take over reverse automatic braking even if they don’t make it in time for various in-car warnings. This feature prevents expensive encounters with concrete walls and pillars in busy parking lots.
Surround View Parking Camera System
Even the best drivers can use additional help to park in the right situation. This is why Edmunds recommends a surround view camera system. It goes beyond the typical reverse camera in terms of providing a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle.
This is done by a system of cameras around cars and trucks. Conversely, overhead images appear on the infotainment screen, often with some form of guidelines and audible warnings to alert the driver if the nearby obstacle is too close.
How to determine if a used car has these features
Unfortunately, this is not easy. For example, let’s say you’re shopping for a 2016 Toyota RAV4. Toyota has offered an optional package when the vehicle is new, adding forward collision warnings and automatic emergency braking. Blind spot warnings were also an option. Ah, but if you bought the RAV4 Top Limited Trim, you got these features as standard. Are you still confused? However, by 2020, the RAV4 had standard forward collision warning and automatic braking, with a surround-view camera system being an option.
Our main advice is to research vehicles of interest on automotive websites such as Edmunds or check the government’s national highway traffic safety management website. Artificial Intelligence agents can also speed up your search, but you can also check and check the source of your search.
Edmunds says
With the growing number of used cars and trucks, it is equipped with Driver AIDS, which helps drivers avoid accidents and reduce some of the stressors that come to them to ride their daily driving. A general rule of thumb is that by purchasing the latest year, you are more likely to get more advanced driver AIDS as standard equipment.
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This story was provided Associated Press By the car website Edmunds. Nick Kurczewski is a contributor to Edmunds.
