Important Safety Content For The Buick Encore
As newer and newer vehicles have hit the automotive market, the most sought-after features have changed courses. While heated seats and major audio systems were once something that made consumers swoon, what now provokes the “oooh's” and “aaah's” are high-tech safety systems. Just as many consumers are opting for hybrids to save the Earth, even more are choosing to protect themselves and others by seeking these systems out.
Take the all-new Buick Encore GX as an example. This compact SUV is a winner in safety with top crash test scores and safety features. In government crash tests, the Encore GX excelled in all areas with top scores in overall crash protection, frontal protection and side-impact protection. It also received top marks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in moderate-overlap and small-overlap front-offset, side impact and roof-strength crash tests.
However, what consumers are so enthralled with in the Encore GX, as well as other new Buick cars available in Bucks County, is the high-tech safety features, like automatic crash notification, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward collision and lane-departure warning systems. While all of these advanced features are head-turning, many overlook the major safety equipment that is actually keeping them safe, like seat belts, brakes, and the like. The next time you purchase a car, here are the most critical safety features your vehicle should have.
Seat Belts
In the event of a crash, seat belts are designed to prevent you from sustaining further injuries from your dashboard or steering wheel, as well as keep you inside your vehicle. Seat belts are designed with three key protective features:
● Adjustable upper belts allow the passenger to change the position of the shoulder strap in order to accommodate a person's size.
● Seat belt pretensioners retract the seat belt to remove excess slack almost instantly in a crash in order to ensure passengers stay firmly in their seats during impact.
● Energy management features allow seat belts to give or yield during a severe crash. This means they will prevent forces on the shoulder belt from concentrating too much energy on your chest.
Blind Spot Detection
As a driver, your blind spot is one of the most dangerous parts of being on the road. A blind spot is an area behind your vehicle or the vehicle of another driver that makes it difficult or impossible to see drivers in this area. Ignoring your blind spot can potentially cause you to collide with another vehicle, while getting trapped in the blind spot of a car or truck can lead to serious damage to your car in the event of an accident.
The Buick Encore GX features advanced blind spot detection technology. Blind spot detection features will automatically detect when another vehicle is entering your blind spot. You’ll see a notification on your mirror when you begin to change lanes, which can allow you to merge with more confidence.
Airbags
Airbags are another safety item that can be life-saving in the event of a crash. Depending on the speed of impact and the stiffness of the object struck, airbags inflate in order to cushion occupants from the force of a crash. Front airbags prevent occupants from hitting the dashboard, steering wheel and windshield; side airbags lower the risk of occupants hitting the door or objects that crash through it. In order for airbags to provide maximum effectiveness, you must also be wearing your seat belts.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Anti-lock brakes are designed to prevent your car's wheels from locking during "panic" braking. This allows the driver to maintain greater steering control and lower the risk of a collision. Newer vehicles typically feature anti-lock brakes with brake assist. This intuitive system can sense emergency braking by detecting the speed or force at which the driver presses the brake pedal. As a result, it can potentially reduce overall stopping distance and avoid a crash.
Driver Assistance Features
When you choose the Buick Encore GX, you’ll enjoy a full suite of driver assistance features to drive more safely with your friends or family members. Some of the features you’ll have access to include:
● Following distance indicator. Leaving space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you can help prevent a collision in the event of a sudden stop. Your following distance indicator tells you how many seconds are between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you, allowing you to keep a safer distance.
● IntelliBeam. IntelliBeam headlights automatically turn the vehicle’s high beam lights on and off according to traffic conditions.
● Front pedestrian braking. Front pedestrian braking features can help prevent or significantly reduce the impact of a collision with a pedestrian. Automatic emergency braking and pedestrian alerts help you drive safer and avoid collisions.
Electronic Stability Control
During extreme steering maneuvers, electronic stability control is used to help the driver maintain their vehicle. This system works by sensing when your vehicle is starting to oversteer or understeer, then automatically applies the brake to a single wheel. The benefit of electronic stability control is to reduce the occurrence of crashes that cause rollovers to occur, like veering off the road and striking the curb, soft shoulders, guard rails, and other objects.
For more on the Buick Encore GX and our other new Buicks available in Bensalem, or to learn other safety tips, visit our dealership today!
