When hunting for the perfect family vehicle, safety is often top of the list. Customers want their vehicle to be in budget, have enough space, and stay as safe as possible on the road. All new models must pass specific safety checks before they hit the market, and the task of the euroNCAP is to use such safety ratings to provide a reliable comparison of results.

In recent years car manufacturers have raised the publicity of vehicle safety features; in 2005, only 1% of motorists knew of ESP. An understanding of the safety features available makes for a more informed decision when buying a vehicle.

VW SHARAN

As far as large MPVs go, the VW Sharan is one of the safest vehicles on the market. Whilst the car has been criticised for lacking exciting aesthetics, in 2010 the euroNCAP awarded the VW Sharan a five star rating. Adult occupant protection was rated an impressive ninety six percent, with a host of additional safety features. The VW Sharon comes with electronic stability control and seatbelt reminders for all of the seven seats. The rear five seats fold away into the floor of the vehicle to provide a large loading space when carrying fewer passengers. A Park Assist 'self parking' system is also available as an optional extra. A new VW Sharan can be bought for around £23,500.

Citroen C5

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The Citroen C5 five door hatchback scored eighty three percent in the euroNCAP test for Safety Assistance. The seatbelt reminder system has been updated to only warn the front passenger once a seatbelt has been initially buckled, so passengers who are unbuckled at the start of a journey are not warned by the system. In addition, the vehicle lacks side body and driver knee airbags. However, the Citroen C5 has developed other safety features that are missing in previous models. Electronic Stability Control reduces the chance of losing control of the vehicle on wet or icy terrain. A speed limitation device is also available, which can be adjusted by the driver to avoid safety risks and unwanted speeding tickets. Unfortunately, the car may not be suitable for larger families due to the reduced passenger capacity compared with a seven seat car. A new Citroen C5 will set you back around £24,000, with many reduced price and cash back deals on offer

Chevrolet Orlando

As with the Citroen C5, the Chevrolet Orlando includes an Electronic Stability Control system as standard. It also benefits from the 'self parking' system featured on the VW Sharan. The model includes six airbags; the standard two front airbags as well as protection of the thorax, pelvis and neck. The structure of the vehicle is also designed to cope well should a collision occur, with zones intended to absorb the impact of collision and a reinforced safety cage to protect passengers. Prices start at around £16,500, once again with a host of car deals available for those on tighter budgets.

The vast number of vehicle safety features on offer shows that for motorists, safety is an important factor when buying a car. Keeping up to date with the latest technologies is the most effective way to ensure you get the best deal on your new vehicle, and remain as protected as possible on the road.

No-fault insurance does sound like no one has to be responsible for a car accident, but that is not the case. When an accident occurs, it means that each driver is required to contact his or her own car insurance company regardless of which one caused the damage.

This type of auto insurance in Ontario also applies to each passenger in the cars involved. Each one must contact his/her own insurance company to see what benefits are available. In the event that someone is traveling with no insurance, they may be covered under the driver’s policy.

Fault Determination Rules are used by insurance companies so that fault is justly placed upon the right party (or parties) involved in an automobile accident. These rules work closely with the Insurance Act so that accidents are dealt with in a timely manner. Drivers beware that charges can still be made by the police at an accident using the Highway Traffic Act.

All types of accidents are up for determination of fault when they occur. Some are deemed “no fault” by either driver when road conditions come into play. Even though the police may decide this way, the insurance company still has to place blame somewhere. When an accident occurs the driver at fault will have to pay a deductible for damages and the insurance premiums may rise upon renewal of the policy.

Some do not agree with their “at fault” status when an insurance company makes a decision on an accident claim. There are ways to fight this. The insurance company’s Ombudsman Liaison Officer can be contacted and then the Ontario Insurance Ombudsman if needed. After these two, some opt for a court preceding if not happy with the outcome.

Intelligent Parking Assistance System is also known as the Advanced Parking Guidance System. It is an automatic parking system developed to assist drivers in parking their vehicle. It uses supersonic sensors to detect the position of other cars and automatically detects the best place to park.

The new technology steers the car for the drivers and performs difficult parking maneuvers in tight and restrictive spaces like in cases of parallel or garage parking. This is accomplished with the use of an electrically-operated power steering system, in-dash screen, back-up guide monitor technology, and button controls.

The Intelligent Parking Assistance System (IPS) directs the vehicle to a target parking position by adjusting the vehicle speed according to the driver’s operation and braking. This doesn’t even require any steering wheel operation and can be operated just by having a slight hold on the brake. The parking position is set based on the image taken by an onboard computer’s camera built into the forward and rear of the car. Sensors detect the proximity of nearby vehicles and display an image on the dashboard which can be used by the driver to target the parking space and the IPS takes over from there.

The system is in its infancy but greatly benefits novices and people having difficulty with parallel and/or garage parking.

All of us have heard the alarming sirens from cars when they are triggered by unauthorized sources. Many cars are being stolen every day, costing owners and the insurance industry in billions. With the aftermarket for stolen car parts growing big, car thefts have increased and that is where car alarms come as a remedy. These alarms are one of the most popular accessories to have been invented.

Car alarms are devices installed in the car, which emit high pitched sound and flashing lights when triggered. The car alarm system is generally wired into the main car battery and may also come with a battery backup incase the battery is disconnected. The sensors in the alarm (motion detectors and pressure sensors) are wired into the electrical system of your car that monitors vibrations, opening of locked doors and windows and any unwanted tampering with the ignition system.  Any disturbance to the alarm system triggers loud siren and flash lights. More developed models have microphone sensors that detect breaking windows and other sounds too. This discourages thieves and provides safety from unwanted handling of personal property.

Car alarms can be either installed by the manufacturers when the car is made or bought separately later. Most of the car alarms are remote controlled by the car key and can be turned off from a distance. Sometimes alarms are triggered accidentally and the sound is annoying, so people tend to ignore alarms in most cases. High sensitivity settings may also trigger alarms. They also cause some amount of noise pollution but the benefits outnumber the drawbacks and provide great protection to the property.

Car safety accessories

Another piece of technology is the global positioning system (GPS) locator which means you can lock, unlock and track the vehicle online. A two way pager system can also arm and disarm the car.

Probably the most vital car safety car accessory is the child lock. The child safety lock prevents the rear passenger doors from being able to be opened while the car is moving. The door is locked by a small switch on the car door which is only accessible when the car door is open. This means that the handle cannot be used to open the door, and some cars also allow you to lock the windows.

Anti fog devices also help the driver to drive safely by preventing the condensation which can be caused on a windscreen by fog.