If you’re buying a new car, you want something that looks good, can fit in everything and everybody you need to haul, and, more than ever, gets good gas mileage.
But don’t forget a crucial factor: finding a vehicle that can keep you and your family safe. Both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration test vehicles for their crashworthiness. You’ll want to look at both sets of ratings at www.iihs.org and www.safercar.gov.
Among car makers trying to keep costs down for price-conscious consumers, even some crucial safety equipment is optional. Here’s a rundown of what is essential and well worth the cost and what may be truly optional if you’re watching your budget.
• Electronic stability control. This feature can reduce the chance of a rollover, so it’s especially important for larger vehicles like SUVs or trucks. Such traction control might, for instance, stop a slide on a wet road before tires on one side hit a curb and the vehicle tips over. Federal officials are proposing making this feature mandatory within a few years.
• Side air bags. Front air bags, which come required with all vehicles, do little to protect you if your vehicle is hit from the side. But in recent years, side crash test performance has improved greatly as side air bags that protect both the head and chest have been added as standard equipment or options to many vehicles. The IIHS estimates that such head and chest air bags can reduce the chance of fatality by up to 45 percent.
• Rear vision cameras. When you’re backing up, this camera shows on your dash a picture of what is immediately behind you. At a cost of about $450, this is an expensive option that you may not need if this isn’t an everyday problem for you. On the other hand, if you live in a neighborhood where small children often are running around, this camera may seem well worth it.
Beyond these options, a whole new generation of technologies is coming along, but most are too new to tell how well they really work. Just remember that your ideal vehicle is one that helps you avoid an accident and protects you well if there is a crash.
Talk to Jersey Shore Federal Credit Union if you’re looking for help financing your new car or refinancing any high-rate loans you may have with other financial institutions.
Contact Cape May County’s only community credit union at 1-888-322-2848, or stop by the Rio Grande Plaza Office at 3317 Route 9 South in Rio Grande.
—Jersey Shore Federal Credit Union
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