6.2: THE VISIBILITY AND PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS OF YOUR CAR
Safety features reduce driving risk by aiding visibility.
What Devices Aid Visibility?
Seeing and being seen are critical to controlling risk and making driving easier and safer. A car’s visibility system better enables you to see the roadway and maximizes the ability of others to see you.
- Lights
Using your headlights helps other roadway users to see you both at night and during the day. Taillights and side marker lights better enable drivers to see your car. Headlights can be switched to either low or high beams. When you turn on your headlights, your taillights and side marker lights also come on. In addition, the dashboard gauges, dials, and controls light up.
- Windshield Wipers and Washer
A variable speed wiper allows for the driver to set the wipers to move at a very slow or very rapid rate.
- Sun Visors
- Sun visors can be moved up and down and turned to the side to prevent the sun from shining into the driver’s eyes.
- Defroster
Use the defroster to clear moisture or frost from the front, rear, and side windows. Heat from the defroster can also make it easier to scrape ice from the windows.
- Rear View and Side View Mirrors
Your car’s rear view and side view mirrors provide vision to the rear and side of the roadway, they cannot eliminate all blind spots and for this reason never rely exclusively on your mirrors when backing up, changing lanes, or making turns. You need to always turn your head left or right depending upon which direction you are going and complete a head check.
What Features Protect You and Your Passengers from Injury?
- Safety Belts
Drivers and all passengers should always wear safety belts (should-lap) whenever the car is in motion. By doing so your risk of being killed is reduced by about 50% in a crash.
All 50 states have laws requiring young children to ride only in special safety-tested and approved car seats.
- Air Bags
Air bags inflate automatically (200 mph) in a frontal crash and are very effective in preventing injuries but they do not reduce the need for wearing a safety belt.
- Head Restraints
Head restraints are standard equipment on front seat backs. These padded restraints protect against whiplash, make sure they are properly adjusted.
- Door Locks
Keep car doors locked. Locked doors not only are less likely to open in a crash, but they also help prevent uninvited people from entering your car when you’re stopped.
- Structural Features
Car makers build a wide range of safety features into their car. Safety features include tempered safety glass windows, impact resistant bumpers, protective padding on the dashboard and roof, energy absorbing steering columns and instrument panels, and childproof door locks that are controlled by the driver. Car size and weight also help determine how well occupants are protected in a crash.
1c. What Devices Guard Against Car Theft?
Various devices help to protect your car against thieves and vandals.
- Ignition Buzzer
When your key is in the ignition switch and you open the driver’s door, you will hear a buzzer to remind you to take your key with you when you leave the car.
- Locks
Cars are equipped with various locks, including door locks, a steering-column lock, and locks on the trunk, hood, and gas tank.
- Alarms and other Anti Theft Devices
A wide range of anti theft devices is available for cars, ranging from elaborate alarm systems to disabling devices that keep the car from starting or prevent the steering wheel from turning. There are even car tracking systems which use transmitters concealed in the car to enable police to locate the vehicle if it is stolen. Sone car security systems can be turned on or off by remote control using a keychain transmitter.