4 Important Safety Features To Consider In a Pickup Truck

Accidents are usually fatal and claim lives or leave permanent memories. However, automakers work round the clock to ensure that the pick-up truck they produce has the basic and advanced safety features to protect life in case of an accident. 

Safety belts are the primary safety feature in every truck. It protects life by holding you firmly on the seat in case of an accident. This guide highlights some essential safety features of a pickup truck.

Airbags

Airbags are an essential safety feature every pickup truck must have. The airbags are usually fitted on the dashboard and the steering wheel. Once the crash detectors have detected a crash, the airbags automatically launch to create a soft surface that helps protect the victims’ lives. 

Since their invention, airbags have saved thousands of lives. They can also harm or kill children or victims who have not put on seatbelts.  Children of 12 years and below should sit on the rear seat, and the child seat should not be fixed on seats facing airbags. 

Modern pickup trucks have several airbags that enhance their safety. 

Antilock Brakes (ABS)

Before the invention of the antilock brakes, wheels locked up in the event of hard baking.  The front tires would slide, making it difficult to control the steering wheel on the slippery surface. ABS prevent wheel lock from occurring in case of hard braking. It thus allows the driver t have full control of the steering wheel while braking.

It is necessary to ensure that this feature is functional in your pickup truck. 

Traction Control

It is electrically controlled to limit the spinning of the wheels during acceleration to gain maximum traction. Traction control comes in handy when driving on ice or wet surfaces. Some traction control is effective only at lower speeds, while others function when at high speeds. 

Traction control and ABS work hand in hand to brake a spinning wheel. Such action directs all the power to the opposite wheel. On the other hand, other systems throttle the engine, which upshifts the transmission to prevent the wheel from spinning.

Safety Belt

Safety belts are a standard feature in all pickup trucks and play a vital role in safeguarding life. Seatbelts have enhanced features that enable them to be effective.

The pre-tensioner retracts seatbelts during a frontal impact. Such action keeps the victim in an appropriate location such that they do not suffer injuries associated with the deployment of airbags.  

The force limiters control the tension from the seatbelt that might cause injuries to the victim. It is their role to playback and limits the force after the action of the pre-tensioner. 

Conclusion,

The above are the most critical safety features that should be functional in your pickup truck. They help in controlling accidents and reducing fatalities related to road crush. Modern pickup trucks have advanced safety features such as brake assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, and parking assist systems. These advanced features vary depending on the producer.

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