Dense fog is one of the extreme weather conditions observed in the UAE and it has continued to affect most parts of the UAE throughout the ongoing winter season. Dense fog poses serious challenges for motorists as in worst case scenario, visibility reduces to almost zero and slippery road conditions make it extremely tough to maneuver a vehicle safely. Even the most experienced of drivers can find it tough to drive in such challenging conditions, however, the risk of a dangerous road situation can be reduced to a bare minimum by driving attentively at all times.
The modern-day cars also offer sufficient protection against a dangerous road situation by providing state-of-the-art safety technologies to the occupants of a vehicle. Most of these technologies provide automated support to the driver in challenging driving conditions while the safety equipment in vehicles reduces the risk of fatal injuries in an unavoidable dangerous road accident.
Let’s explore the most important car safety features that are essential for driving safely in extreme foggy conditions.
Airbags
The importance of airbags as an essential car safety feature can never be underrated. Airbags are the most fundamental and arguably the oldest of safety features to be found in commercial and private vehicles. The deployment of airbags prevents the occupants of a car from experiencing serious physical injuries in event of a dangerous road accident.
How do Airbags work?
Airbags are designed to deploy in event of a moderate to severe frontal or side impact car crash. The deployment of airbags can effectively save the driver and passengers from fatal injuries in a dangerous road collision.
The airbags can be fitted in different parts of a car’s cabin. In some mid-range vehicles, the airbags protection is only provided for the driver and front passenger while the premium models of many new vehicles also feature airbags for passengers in second and third row seats (in SUVs and other large vehicles).
Based on their location in a vehicle’s cabin, listed below could be different types of airbags.
- Driver and Front Passenger Airbags
- Knee Airbags
- Thorax Airbags
- Roof Rail Airbags
- Second Row Slide Airbags
- Front-row Side Impact Airbags
Also read: Understanding the Importance of Airbags as an Essential Safety Feature in Cars
Seatbelt Protection
Just like airbags, seatbelt protection is also amongst the most basic car safety features that are essential for the safety of a car’s occupants. Cars are equipped with seatbelts and occupants should wear these seatbelts to avoid a fatal injury in event of a dangerous road accident. Wearing seatbelts can potentially save you from being thrown out of a vehicle or hitting your head forcefully against hard objects such as steering wheel or dashboard in event of a dangerous accident.
Also read: 37,519 Motorists Fined for Not Wearing Seatbelts in Dubai
Child Safety Seats
For improved safety of children, it is important to install a child safety seat (if already not installed) with top tethering anchors in the vehicle’s backseat. It prevents the possibility of a child being thrown out of the vehicle in the event of a crash, which is almost impossible to avoid if there is no child safety seat in the vehicle.
Also read: The UAE Cabinet Approves Policy on Car Safety Seats for Children
Traction Control System
It is one of the modern-day car safety features that helps in improving the turning ability as well as road grip of a vehicle in wet or slippery road conditions.
How it Works:
The Traction Control System helps in improving the handling of a vehicle on wet roads by adjusting the acceleration of the vehicle according to the road conditions. It activates automatically and controls the spinning efficiency of tyres to improve the available traction on the road and helps in avoiding a dangerous road situation caused by sudden slipping of a vehicle.
To read about the Traction Control System in detail, read our blog which explains how traction control system works.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control is somewhat similar in its functioning to Traction Control. It is yet another advanced car safety feature that guards against a dangerous road situation induced by slippery driving conditions caused by rain or dense fog.
How it Works:
Electronic Stability Control is designed to improve the driver’s control of a vehicle in the event of emergency braking. It is a computer operated system that ensures the timely application of brakes if the driver loses the control of the vehicle. It detects even a minor lapse in driver’s ability to control the steering and takes over the control to provide an immediate second line of defense.
Read our details blog on Electronic Stability Control for more.
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
This is another safety system that improves the braking efficiency of a vehicle to prevent the driver and passenger from a dangerous road accident.
How it Works:
This system works by providing the right amount of brakeforce required to stop a vehicle in an emergency braking situation. It distributes the required force to each wheel so that the braking mechanism can be executed efficiently when needed the most. The risk of an imminent collision can be avoided or the impact of a crash can be reduced to a bare minimum with the timely execution of Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.
Anti-lock Braking System
This is another vital safety system that enhances the braking efficiency of a vehicle in skiddy conditions. It prevents wheels from jamming, hence improving the ability of a vehicle to brake. It also helps in maintaining steering capability of the vehicle even when emergency brakes are applied.
How it Works:
Anti-lock Braking System prevents a vehicle’s wheels from jamming, by doing so, the braking efficiency of a vehicle improves drastically. Another outstanding benefit of the Anti-Lock Braking System is that since the wheels do not jam, the drive is able to turn the vehicle while applying emergency brake to change the direction of the vehicle and possibly avoid a dangerous crash.
Also read: Understanding the Importance of Automatic Emergency Braking System
Emergency Brake Assist
This is one of the most advanced modern-day car safety technologies and it is only available in premium variants of new vehicles at present. This is a smart driver-assistance technology that helps in avoiding a dangerous road collision while driving in challenging driving conditions such as dense fog.
How it Works:
This intelligent braking system observes the normal braking behavior of the driver and defines a threshold for emergency braking. If the system detects any change in the driving behavior or if the predefined threshold is crossed, it takes over the conventional braking system and spreads maximum brakeforce across all the wheels to stop a vehicle instantly.
To read in detail about the working of Emergency Brake Assist, read our blog titled, Emergency Brake Assist – An Essential Car Safety Feature for Safe Braking.
Automatic Crash Notification
This seemingly simple feature is one of the most important car safety technologies that work efficiently to limit the loss of lives in a dangerous road accident. This feature has its integral importance as it works after a road accident has already occurred and automatically notifies the emergency services for immediate help.
How it Works:
The Automatic Crash Notification informs emergency services of a road accident by sending a message to emergency services about the severity of the accident along with the location of the vehicle. Depending on the type of system installed, a more advanced system is also able to setup a voice call and sound an alarm system linked with the control room of the emergency services. Automatic Crash Notification System plays a vital role in helping emergency services reach an accident site without any delays.
To read more about Automatic Crash Notification, click here.
Driver Attention Assist
Only offered in a few of the modern-day vehicles, Driver Attention Assist is one of the most expensive yet a very important car safety technology that helps in avoiding a dangerous road situation.
How it Works:
The Driver Attention Assist is a safety technology that detects even a minor lapse in concentration of the driver and issues a warning through an audible alarm or vibration in the driver’s seat to keep the driver attentive on the road at all times. The fundamental function of this safety feature is to keep the driver attentive while driving, which becomes critical when you are driving in extreme foggy conditions.
Read our blog on the Driver Attention Assist technology for details on how it works.
Key Takeaways
The driver-assistance systems and safety technologies help drivers in avoiding a dangerous road situation and protect the occupants from fatal injuries. However, these advanced technologies only work as a secondary line of defense and cannot be taken as a substituted for driver’s attention on the road. A driver needs to maintain his/her complete and undivided attention on the road while driving in dense fog. The patience and temperament of drivers can undergo a serious trial in extremely foggy conditions and this is why it is important to follow safe driving habits. The driver assistance provided by car safety features can help a great deal in minimizing the occurrence of dangerous road situations while driving in dense fog.
If you are looking to sell your used car to buy a new one with advanced safety features and improved performance, then don’t forget that with us, you can sell any used car in just 30 minutes while all the post-sale paperwork is handled by SellAnyCar.com’s team.
