Thinking of buying a new family car? If so, then its safety features must be included on the top of your list. And if you haven’t been in the market for some time now, you might get overwhelmed with the growing number of safety features that vehicle manufacturers come up with every year.

But that’s a good thing. There is nothing more important than keeping yourself and your entire family safe while you’re on the road. While some car safety features are optional, many of them remain the gold standard.

To help you better understand which ones are more important than others, the good folks at Alpha Car Finance have listed the following safety features you should consider before purchasing a new family car.

Advanced frontal airbags

The number of deaths resulting in vehicular accidents is becoming fewer with each passing year, thanks to the improved safety features you can find in today’s cars. This includes the advancements made in airbag systems.

Look for a vehicle that has advanced frontal airbags which are better for saving lives than regular airbags. This type of airbag system has sensors that can take into consideration many important factors, like the passenger’s size, seat position, and severity of the crash, when it inflates to the appropriate size.

Anti-lock brake system

To prevent the wheels from locking when a driver suddenly steps on the brakes, safety features, like anti-lock brakes, have become mandatory for all passenger cars. Having an anti-lock brake system (ABS) can help reduce the chances of skidding, and it helps the driver to maintain control of the vehicle’s steering.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

This essential car safety feature helps the driver maintain control during emergency maneuvers. The ESC activates when it senses the vehicle is at risk of skidding out or fish-tailing and helps the driver to get the car back under control.

Rear view camera

If you’re driving a large vehicle, like an SUV or a minivan, it can be difficult to be aware of what’s behind you when you’re backing up. To avoid hitting another vehicle or running over small children accidentally, the rear-mounted cameras can help give better visibility.

Bluetooth

This feature may seem unnecessary but if you’re driving with kids in the back and need to make or take a call, having a Bluetooth system is a must-have. You need to keep both hands on the wheel, especially when you’re driving. If you want to skip having Bluetooth, then you should keep your mobile stashed away to be on the safe side while driving.

Active head restraints

Some drivers overlook the importance of head restraints, simply because they think it is just a place to rest their heads. However, in case you experience a collision, this head restraint will help protect you from whiplash, which can cause lingering pain and discomfort.

LATCH system

If you are a new parent and need to bring your child along, you’ll need a reliable LATCH system, which is an acronym for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. The LATCH was designed to help parents make the installation of child seats easier and safer.

To save you the trouble of figuring out whether it’s easy to install the booster seat in the vehicle you intend to buy, it’s a good idea to bring it along when you head out to the dealership, especially when you do a test drive.

Driver fatigue system

If you’ve been behind the wheel for a long time, this safety feature will give you an early warning for driver fatigue. The driver fatigue system can detect if you are feeling drowsy because your head is bowing down or if you are distracted by talking to other passengers.

Although these safety features cannot fully guarantee that they can prevent a horrible accident from happening, it’s still a good idea to look for them in your next family vehicle.