The Vehicles

Every vehicle manufacturer is obliged by law to design and engineer cars to at least a minimum safety standard. Ongoing research and development has produced technically sophisticated vehicles that are, especially when compared with the earliest motor vehicles, very easy and safe to drive. The primary aspects that are intended to prevent drivers crashing include:

The Brakes. Dual circuit brake systems make total brake failure unlikely. Disc brakes are now fitted on at least the two front wheels. These are more effective than the drum type which can get hot and `fade'. ABS (Anti Blockier System), known as anti-lock brakes prevent the wheels locking up during emergency braking therefore allowing you to swerve to avoid a collision.

Road Holding against crashes. The type of vehicle transmission, choice of manual or automatic gearbox, quality of suspension and tyre condition are factors that affect your car control. Having the front wheels pull your the car round a bend makes for a feeling of a more comfortable, stable and enjoyable ride ! Front wheel drive on snow and ice is more likely to keep you moving than having the rear wheels trying to push. Four wheel drive vehicles give you a better chance of coping with lose surfaces and rough terrain. Drivers in Britain prefer manual gears to deal with our Country's windy roads and hills, as opposed to an automatic gearbox which can't anticipate the need to change before the hazard. While ABS and four wheel drive improve your vehicle's handling and grip on the road surface, it is an illusion to believe that such features suspend Isaac Newton's laws of physics.

Visibility. An adjustable driver's seat for comfortable reach of the controls and maximum view of the road ahead. Vehicle designers ensure that dash board dials and instruments can be viewed without difficulty and that there's plenty of ventilation or warm air is available when needed. Headlights and direction indicators provide visibility and a means of communication.

The secondary aspects are intended to lessen the consequences by minimising injuries when an accident does occur.

The more obvious features to car users are adult seat belts and child restraints. In the event of a sudden stop, these prevent you or your child being thrown forwards through the windscreen. Head restraints play an important role by reducing the effects of whiplash.

Stiffness of the body shell varies in different parts of the car, depending on the potential need for energy absorption during an accident. For instance, the roof and pillars are harder than the bonnet.

Design features that you don't see include front and rear crumple zones; a collapsible steering column and airbags; reinforced door beams; anti-burst door locks and a rear fuel tank. For your protection the windscreen glass is laminated and your steering wheel is padded.

To reduce the extent of injury that a car causes a pedestrian on impact your car has a low front end; rounded corner design; soft bumpers; sprung door mirrors and flush handles.

Radar devices that automatically monitors safety margins and stopping distances, developed by Mercedes Benz are an optional extra on their cars costing about £2,000.

Modern car maintenance requires some simple routine checks. Provided you do these; have it regularly serviced and MoT tested when and where necessary, component failures can be kept to the minimum and it should seldom let you down.