Six Safety Features Seniors Should Look for in Their Next Car

Cars today come with a lot of safety features. That’s especially good news for older drivers who may have slower reaction times and reduced movement. Best Life spoke to an attorney who represents senior clients in vehicle accident cases and has seen firsthand that certain safety features can make a big difference in crash outcomes.

These are the safety features he thinks seniors should look for in their next cars:

Side airbags with head and torso protection. Experts say this is the most important feature for older drivers because airbags reduce fatalities by nearly 50 percent among seniors over 70 in side-impact collisions.

Automatic Emergency Braking systems help compensate for delayed reaction times in seniors. Experts say this feature can prevent nearly half of all rear-end collisions.

Blind-spot detection is another useful feature because older adults often struggle to turn their heads to check blind spots.

Backup cameras and parking sensors improve visibility while reversing.

Lane departure warnings help prevent unintentional drifting.

Left-turn assist systems provide alerts for oncoming traffic at intersections. This can be a literal lifesaver, as these turns are the number one cause of senior crashes.

The Seniors Trust is committed to improving the physical and financial well-being of older Americans. We are working diligently to get Congress to enact the Social Security Expansion Act. It will give retirees an immediate benefits increase of about $200 a month, a fair annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), increased minimum benefits, and ensure the long-term solvency of the Social Security program.