Car safety technology has come a long way. From seat belts to driver assist tools, the iterations of occupant protection and anti-crash equipment offered by car manufacturers have moved us into a new age with plenty of choices to consider when deciding what options will offer the most protection while traveling by motor vehicle.
Although some newer safety features are optional add-ons, many come standard in today’s vehicles. As the safety advantages have become apparent, more and more safety features that were once merely optional have become mandatory throughout the industry; the ubiquitous seat belt is the most obvious example.
The vast array of vehicle safety features available to car buyers can be broken down into two categories: active and passive. Active vehicle safety features are those that use cameras and sensors to provide assistance to drivers. Passive safety systems generally remain on standby, to serve a specific safety function in the event of an accident.
Active vehicle safety features are designed to prevent a car accident, whereas passive vehicle safety features serve to offer protection when an accident cannot be avoided, reducing the effects of the impact and force of a collision to protect vehicle occupants and minimize damage.
What Are Active Vehicle Safety Features?
Using input from cameras and sensors that use radar and sonar to detect nearby objects, active vehicle safety features may use an alert system to make the driver aware of immediate danger in the vicinity. More sophisticated technology may have the capability to take control of the steering or braking system to avoid the danger without the driver’s involvement.
- Back-up cameras. Back-up cameras help drivers see what is behind their vehicle, which can be helpful when operating the vehicle in reverse or when parking.
- Vehicle exit assist. Sensors can warn of an approaching vehicle so that a person inside the car knows to wait until it is safe to exit.
- Parking sensors. Using audio alerts or flashing lights, parking assist detectors can sense objects or other vehicles and alert drivers to their presence when parking.
- Automated parking assist. More advanced systems not only detect obstructions in the parking area, but also can take over the parking process with cameras, sensors, and automatic controls.
- Blind-spot monitoring. Situated at the rear or sides of the vehicle, cameras and spatial sensors can warn the driver of hidden dangers in blind spots using lights or audible alerts.
- Lane-change alerts. Changing lanes presents an opportunity for blind spot issues or inattentiveness to cause a crash. Lane-change alerts can serve as a lookout for potential dangers by engaging sensors and a warning system to alert drivers to other vehicles.
- Lane-departure alerts. Even when blind spots are clear, drivers can create problems by drifting into another lane. Lane departure alerts keep drowsy or distracted drivers from unknowingly coasting into an adjacent lane or shoulder.
- Lane-keep technology. Some systems that detect lane departures can also take over the steering controls to keep the car on the right path.
- Brake assist. Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) is a type of brake assist that keeps brakes from locking by causing the brakes to pulsate instead of engaging the brakes suddenly and forcefully. When brakes lock, the driver may lose control of the vehicle. Automatic braking is another kind of brake assist technology, which can automatically apply the brakes to avoid a potential collision detected by its sensors.
- Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking (AEB). More advanced versions of automatic braking systems now include pedestrian and cyclist detection capabilities. These systems, required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on light vehicles as of May 2024, can detect imminent collisions at higher speeds and apply brakes automatically if the driver fails to react.
- Cruise control. Some cruise control systems simply maintain a set speed by accelerating or decelerating as needed. Other more advanced cruise control systems include radar cruise control or adaptive cruise control, which can sense another vehicle ahead and respond by applying the brakes.
- Electronic stability control. Automatically engaged when a loss of traction is detected while braking, a vehicle’s electronic stability control takes over the brakes and steering to help the driver avoid losing control of the vehicle.
- Cross-traffic alerts. Drivers can be notified of approaching vehicles when exiting parking spaces with the help of cross-traffic alerts that use sensors and a warning system to inform the driver of danger. This system is particularly useful in driveways and parking lots, especially when backing out of a spot with an obstructed view of oncoming traffic.
- Driver attention alert. Using sensors and steering-correction monitors, driver attention alerts can tell when a driver may be dangerously distracted or fatigued. The system provides feedback that can notify the driver of behaviors of which they may not be aware, which can encourage them to take a break.
- Traffic sign recognition. This technology reads road signs and alerts drivers to speed limit changes and other important traffic information in real time.
What Are Passive Vehicle Safety Features?
Less flashy than active features, but every bit as vital, passive vehicle safety features keep people from harm when accidents occur. These important safety devices include:
- Seat belts. One of the most life-saving improvements made to enhance driving safety is a simple nylon strap that restrains drivers and passengers and keeps them from being violently thrown around the vehicle or dangerously ejected from the cabin. Per NHTSA regulations, vehicles manufactured after December 2024 must have enhanced seat belt reminder requirements, which include visual and audible warnings for rear seat belt use, along with improved warnings for driver and front passenger seats.
- Airbags. Instantaneously triggered by crash sensors, airbags respond to protect the vehicle’s occupants by cushioning their impact with the car’s interior surfaces, such as the steering wheel or side panel. While the airbag system uses a chemical reaction to inflate the bag, modern vehicles now feature multi-stage airbags that deploy intelligently based on crash severity.
- Crumple zones. Also known as deformation, strategically placed crumple zones absorb the impact of a collision by slowing the force before it hits the vehicle’s cabin. These zones are reinforced at the vehicle’s interior while allowing controlled deformation in the front and rear, functioning as shock absorbers to minimize impact on passengers.
- High-strength glass. The glass used in today’s automobiles creates strength and structure to offer protection in the event of a head-on collision or a rollover accident. Modern windscreens are made of two layers of laminated, shatter-resistant glass with a plastic interlayer, preventing them from breaking into hazardous shards.
- Child restraint anchors (LATCH). The LATCH system helps parents properly install car seats in rear seats, with improved usability expected to save approximately three lives and prevent six moderate-to-higher severity injuries per year. In January 2025, the NHTSA issued updated regulations to improve the usability of the system by standardized the location and accessibility of anchors, making them easier to use correctly.
Emerging Vehicle Safety Standards
The NHTSA has proposed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 228, Pedestrian Head Protection, which would require vehicles to meet protective standards when pedestrians’ heads impact vehicle hoods at speeds up to 25 mph (40 km/h), encompassing approximately 70% of pedestrian injuries from vehicle impacts.
The proposed standard applies to passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, crossovers, vans, and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less. Compliance is expected approximately two years after final rule publication.
Recent Traffic Safety Statistics
Motor vehicle traffic fatalities have shown improvement following a peak in 2023. According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle accident fatalities in 2024 declined by 3.8% from the previous year, and in the first half of 2025, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled dropping to 1.06 (the lowest mid-year rate since 2014).
Monmouth County Car Accident Lawyers at Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, Help Clients Recover from Injuries Sustained in Serious Collisions
If you were severely injured or lost a loved one in a car accident, you may be able to collect damages from the person responsible for your accident to pay for any medical bills or lost wages. The Monmouth County car accident lawyers at Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, can help you understand your rights and ensure that you are able to obtain a judgment or settlement to address your losses. Call us at 732-705-3363 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation. Our offices are in Hazlet and Highland Park, NJ, and we serve clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.