Is Upgrading the Safety Features in Your Car Worth it?

The technology that is coming along with our vehicles is increasing with every new model. There are new safety features, new style features, and much more. According to the American Automobile Association, American drivers spend about 300 hours in their car per year. With that statistic in mind, people want their cars to be comfortable, but also safe. There is more to the car than just how it looks on the outside. So, even though it may be appealing to car buyers to buy all of the fancy upgrades, sometimes it is hard to tell if they are actually worth it.

Many of the new cars that are available come with some of these safety features with them already included. Almost all of the new cars have features that the older models do not, such as a back-up camera.  But, many of the car manufactures only offer the high-tech safety features on the luxury models. So, when this is the case, many buyers are more inclined in upgrading the features of their car. But, this can get extremely expensive.

Car manufacturers have been clever when coming up with the designs of their cars. They make them so they have the initial safety features that drivers want in their cars, but only a few of them. They do this so buying a package to upgrade them becomes almost a “must.” Some of the manufacturers have made these packages only available if you decide to upgrade to a luxury model, which are obviously more expensive to begin with. So, what are the most common high-tech safety features we are talking about?

The new technology in cars often have the option to have automatic breaks. This is a feature in which the car will stop for you if the driver’s reaction time is not quick enough. Another one that is now common is the blind spot monitor. This is helpful when you are switching lanes. The monitor will detect if there is another car in your blind spot and will beep so you do not change lanes into them. Another one that is helpful is the collision warning features. These features are able to sense and signal potential collisions, either in the front or rear end. Even though there are dozens of these safety features that car buyers can upgrade to, how do you know which ones are worth the hefty price tag?

It can be hard to justify spending an extra thousand or thousands of dollars when buying a new car if you do not “have” to. But, safety precautions are necessary to keep you safe on the road. If you are going to purchase an upgrade, you should get the most effective ones they offer. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, the safety features that are most effective are the ones that help with collision control. This data has shown that even though these features can be extremely costly, and may not seem worth it in the moment, they are proven to help reduce collisions on the road.