• Safety features are important for cars, drivers and passengers.Luxury Car sportscar from my luxury car series image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
  
  Safety must never be compromised when shopping for a new or used car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, has a New Car Assessment Program (see Resources) that helps consumers to make informed purchasing decisions by providing vehicle safety information. Certain state-of-the-art safety considerations are a must for every modern vehicle.
  
  

Air Bags

• All new cars come equipped with air bags. Air bag systems, also known as supplementary restraint systems, are triggered by a collision. Types of air bags include front, side curtain, side impact and dual-stage front.
  
  Front air bags are inflated when electronic sensors in the vehicle detect a frontal collision. They inflate in a fraction of a second, cushion the occupant from the full force of the impact, then deflate.
  
  Side curtain air bags, located in the front and rear side windows, cushion the occupants' heads in a collision and shield them from flying debris. Side impact air bags protect the torsos of front-seat passengers.
  
  Dual-stage front air bags detect the weight, height and position of both the driver and the front-seat passenger. The deployment power of the air bags is adjusted to decrease the risk of injury to occupants.
  
  

Head Restraints

• Head restraints limit the movement of the head in a rear-impact crash to reduce the risk of neck injury. Head restraints are usually located underneath the car upholstery and blend with the general decor of the interior. Head restraints in the front seats must meet size and strength specifications. The occupant can adjust head restraints manually, and some adjust automatically with every change in seat position or in a crash. Restraints that adjust automatically are known as dynamic head restraints; they are safest.
  
  

Electronic Stability Control

• Electronic stability control helps drivers keep their vehicles on track.Car image by cacheman from Fotolia.com
  
  Electronic stability control helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles in extreme maneuvers. It helps keep the vehicle on the road by sensing when a vehicle is veering off course and braking automatically. This helps reduce car crashes by keeping cars off curbs, guardrails and soft shoulders. This is especially useful when drowsy drivers lose control. However, this safety feature works only when the vehicle's speed is within reasonable limits.