Top Car Safety Inventions Of All Time — Think Before You Buy A New Car

Side View Mirrors

One of the first car safety features to be invented and equipped in production cars is the side view mirrors, some even refer to it as fender mirror, door mirror or wing mirror. Car manufacturers have been referring it to as Outside Rear View Mirror (ORVM). The ORVM is believed to be introduced in the 1940s and 50s to cater to the growing trend of twisting roads or widened roads to create more lanes.

The side view mirrors help drivers see vehicles coming up behind them and on their side, and it is significantly helpful when changing lanes. The side view mirror is equipped for manual or remote vertical or horizontal adjustment. The ORVMs now come with turn indicators as well which help other vehicle drivers know you are about to change lane or take a turn.

Traction Control System And Electronic Stability Control

A traction control system (TCS) is a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels. The traction control is activated when accelerator input and engine torque does not match to road surface conditions.

This car safety feature is important especially in wet and icy winter conditions when a spinning tyre could be dangerous. This safety feature on the car that many people might not be aware of yet makes driving safer.

Tubeless And Run Flat Tyre

Tubeless tyres dateback to the 1950s which essentially runs without a tube inside the tyre. Tubeless tyres have continuous ribs which are moulded integrally into the bead of the tyre so that they are forced by thepressure of the air inside to seal with the rim.

The run-flat tyre has a fabric inner tyre which helps as a protection against any blowouts. Also, helps to run for some kilometres before you can repair the flat tyre. Both the technologies are one of the best car safety technologies of all time.

Crumple Zones

The front and rear areas of the car are designed to absorbany impact due to a collision or crash and they literally crumple. Usually, the crumple zone is found in the front area of the car to absorb any impact of a head-on collision.

However, crumple zones are found on the rear and in some at the side of the car. One of the main aspects of crash testing is to check the crumple zone before the car rated for its safety features. Crash tests of crumple zones show that they dramatically lower the damage in case of a collision.

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) And Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)

Considered to be one of the biggest inventions of car safety, the anti-lock brake system (ABS) is a computerised braking system to help drivers maintain control of thecar while stopping and stabilise cars, thereby from rolling over on a collision.

To ably support ABS, EBD automatically varies the amount of force applied to each wheel, based on road conditions, speed, loading and among others. EBD will apply more or less braking pressure on each of vehicle's wheels to maximise stopping power.

Back-up Cameras And Sensors

Recent cars have been equipped with this new feature, even if not, most of us are looking to aftermarket products for thebackup cameras and sensors. These are basically cameras and sensors fitted on the front and rear of the car and streams the view to a display in the centre console.

The safety feature of the backup cameras and sensors help the driver especially when there is limited vision while parking the car on reversegear. The sensors usually warn you with sound and itlets the driver know that car is approaching something close. Indeed this is one of the best inventions of car safety.

Voice Controls And Phone Connectivity

While most of the cars are equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, which helps to receive calls, voice controls helps you to control other functions such as climate control, navigation and in some cases windshield wipers.

To keep your eyes on the road and not take it away for controlling a feature on your car is a safer mode of travelling. This invention helps you to control most of the features without taking your hands off the steering wheel.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

The TPMS is an electronic system to monitor the air pressure inside the tubeless or run-flat tyre. It reports real-time air pressure of the tyres and relays the information through a gauge, low-pressure warning light or a pictorial display.

The main reasons behind the technology of tyre pressure warning system are to avoid accidents, poor fuel economy, and reduce tyre wear and tear due to lower air pressure. The TPMS is one of the best car safety inventions of all time.

Crash Test Dummies

Yes, you might be wondering why crash test dummies are part of this list even though it does not come as a safety feature in a car. However, crash test dummies form an integral part of thesafety of the car by helping us understand the impact of a collision.

Crash test dummies have resulted in many other safety features equipped in the present generation cars. They have been extensively used by the car manufacturers to test their cars and understand how they protect people during collisions and crashes.

Airbags

Airbags are one of the best inventions in car safety and considered to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in safety features. Airbags have evolved over the years and offerone of the basic necessity for the safety of passengers.

Airbags are not just for the driver and the co-driver, there are curtain airbags at the side of the car and an airbag for the driver's knee. Airbags have been responsible for saving many lives each year.

Seatbelts

The most basic and widely used car safety feature are the seatbelts and is considered to be the greatest inventions of all time. The seatbelt is a device to secure the passenger against harmful movement that may result during a collision or even stopping suddenly.

The seatbelts reduce the possibility of death or serious injury in a collision by keeping the occupant positioned correctly for maximum effectiveness of the airbag. This prevents the occupants from being ejected from the car in case of acrash or if the car rolls over.

Summary:

The best car safety inventions of all time increasethe priority about the car we choose to buy. Car manufacturers providing vehicles with the most safety features might price the car at a premium, but it does safeguard any fallout of a collision or a crash.