Understanding Car Safety Systems (Explained For Beginners)

Your car’s safety system is one of the most important features of your vehicle.

While most people are familiar with airbags and seatbelts, most vehicles have a lot of other impressive safety features that make up the full safety system.

Table Of Contents

Safe Exit Assist (SEA)

When a vehicle pulls up behind a car after it is stopped, the Safe Exit Assist system warns the passengers to avoid opening the door.

If an approaching vehicle is detected from the rear of the vehicle after it has stopped, the rear door will not open.

Even if the driver uses the emergency child safety lock button, the rear door will not open. An alert message appears and a warning sound is played with the message “Check surroundings then try again.”.

After a warning message appears, press the switch within 10 seconds (the switch’s indicator will go out), and the system interprets that the driver unlocked the door acknowledging the rear status, and releases it.

The warning message “Watch for traffic” or something similar appears on the cluster and a warning sound is made when an approaching vehicle from the rear is detected.

Upon removing the ignition key or moving it to the off position, the electronic child safety lock system will operate for approximately 10 minutes.

An electronic child safety lock system cannot be deactivated after a couple of minutes because the switch indicator turns off.

While the ignition is turned on and the vehicle is running, or after starting the engine, press the Electronic child safety lock switch again to deactivate the system.

In order to match the state of the indicator on the child safety lock switch and the actual state of the electronic child safety lock system when the power is restored after removing the battery or after battery discharge.

Press the child safety lock switch again when the power is restored after removing the battery or battery discharge.

It automatically unlocked the rear door when the airbag was activated while the child safety lock switch was on (the switch’s indicator illuminated).

Related:

Safe Exit Warning (SEW)

In the case of kids, they tend to be impatient and would bombard you with the “Are we there yet?

As soon as you arrive at the destination, they rush out of the vehicle. Your child, as well as any approaching vehicles, cyclists, or passersby, are at risk here.

The rear-seat passenger exiting the vehicle can meet oncoming traffic out of nowhere, potentially colliding with the vehicle door and causing serious damage. Motorcyclists and cyclists can also be seriously injured by suddenly opening doors.

With the newer child-lock options, you have another technological option. By using existing rear-door and window controls, the Safe Exit Assist system detects oncoming traffic and locks rear doors automatically if it detects oncoming traffic or moving objects.

The device will also sound a chime and/or display some kind of visual cue as a form of an alert. Passengers in the rear seat can open the door after the other vehicle passes.

Rear Occupant Alert

It is a good idea to look behind the driver’s seat when rear occupant alerts are present. A variety of backseat reminder systems are also available from many manufacturers. The rear passenger alert system will be standard on all vehicles by the 2025 model year.

A rear passenger reminder can be displayed on the infotainment screen to remind the driver to check their back seats before leaving the car.

The sensors may be as simple as motion sensors placed within the vehicle which detect movement after the driver turns the ignition off. As a response, it may go into chaos mode or blow its horn.

The safety of kids and pets is protected in several ways by automakers. There are different notifications that notify the driver if there is an issue

Screen Reminders

The driver of some cars is prompted to inspect the back seat whenever the vehicle is turned off.

Door Logic Systems

With the newest models, systems are designed to use door-sequencing logic. When the rear door is opened before you drive, the onboard computers record the event.

The vehicle will sound an audible alert if a rear door remains locked after parking it. There is also a message on the dashboard or on the screen that reminds drivers to look for passengers in the rear seat.

Motion Detectors

The rear seat of some cars can be monitored by more advanced systems. On almost all Hyundais and Kias, for example, door logic systems are standard equipment.

There are also vehicles that are suitable for families with more advanced systems. Cars are equipped with ultrasonic sensors that can detect motion even after they have been stopped and send notifications to their owners’ mobile phones.

Future Advanced Systems

In an effort to make our cars more automated, manufacturers are increasingly adding sensors to vehicle cabins. Monitors that monitor the driver’s attention are becoming more and more common. The cost-effectiveness of placing similar sensors in the backseats is increasing with every passing year.

Seat Belts / Seat Belt Pretensioner

As part of the overall seat belt mechanism, seat belt pre-tensioners play a crucial role. As part of the primary restraint system, the seat belt retractor, webbing, and pillar loop assist it in completing its function.

The role that seat belts play in occupant safety makes them primary restraint systems. The secondary or supplementary restraint systems work in conjunction with the airbags.

In a collision with another vehicle or object or when the vehicle abruptly stops, the pretensioner locks the seat belt in place.

A small explosive charge is used to introduce a concealed piston when a collision is detected by the pretensioner’s sensors. As a result of the piston driving the spool around rapidly, any slack in the seat belt is removed.

To maximize airbag safety and to prevent occupants from being ejected from the vehicle, the seat belts position occupants into their seats. Upon inspection, the seat belt pretensioner will appear compressed or squished after this has occurred.

The vehicle itself would display specific codes if a scanning tool was used after it had been involved in the crash, indicating the need to repair the pretensioner.

Active Hood System

A pedestrian-protection safety device known as an active hood is a system that lifts a hood in order to protect pedestrians when they are struck by cars.

In case of a pedestrian collision accident, the active hood system can reduce the pedestrian’s injury index as well as absorb the pedestrian’s shock.

By using a sensor on a front bumper, an active hood system detects pedestrian collisions when a pedestrian collides with it.

To create a shock-absorbing space between the engine compartment and the hood, a controller operates an actuator according to the sensor’s sensing signal, to lift the rear end of the hood.

Once the controller receives the sensing signal from the sensor, it drives the actuator.

When the actuator is driven, it lifts a hinge assembly, and simultaneously, it lifts the rear end of the hood, which is connected to the hinge assembly, pushing the pedestrian up and absorbing the shock.

An active hood with such a design, however, has the following problems.

A user cannot manually restore the actuators of such an active hood system to their original positions after the active hood system has been operated, i.e. to their condition prior to operation.

After the actuators have been operated, the rear end of the hood is raised by excessive forces exerted by the springs. Since such forces hamper manual lowering and closing of the hood, a user’s convenience is compromised.

Airbag – Supplemental Restraint System

There is a very simple design concept behind the design. Sensors within the vehicle are monitored by a central Airbag Control Unit.

A variety of sensors are included in these systems, such as accelerometers, impact sensors, pressure sensors for side doors, and occupancy sensors for seats.

Airbags will rapidly inflate when a gas generator propellant is ignited by the airbag control unit when the required threshold is reached or exceeded. In a controlled manner, gas escapes through small vent holes when the vehicle occupant collides with the bag and squeezes it.

It has an airbag volume that is unique to each vehicle type, as well as vents that are sized according to each type of vehicle in order to spread the deceleration of the occupant over a longer period of time and over a larger area of the occupant’s body than a seat belt alone.

It has become increasingly complex over the years. Deployments that are unnecessary are reduced by using triggering algorithms. Sensor signals are fed into the Airbag Control Unit, which determines the speed, angle, severity, and force of the crash along with other variables.

A seatbelt pretensioner and pertinent airbags may be deployed as a result of these calculations. When used in a crash situation, these seatbelt pre-tensioners can actually tighten the seatbelt and hold the occupant in the seat tighter with the harness driving all the slack out.

There are also many types of airbags available in today’s vehicles. The driver and passenger both have frontal airbags, as well as side bags mounted on the seats, and a curtain airbag covering the side glass.

Collision Preparation Technology

Automotive safety systems can generally be divided into passive and active types.

Passive safety systems operate only when necessary and primarily sit idle in a car or truck. This can be seen in a common seat belt, for example.

After buckling a seatbelt, the belt will not automatically lock into place until the vehicle comes to a sudden halt. There are some who consider airbag systems to be passive safety systems as well.

Airbags may fall into active safety, however, since sensors determine how severe a collision is, allowing them to choose when to inflate and when to remain inflated.

Pre-collision systems are active safety systems, whereas passive safety systems are passive.

In most cases, signals and information are used to alert the driver if they need to hit the brakes or turn the wheel at any point while driving. Information about the current state of the vehicle is actively sought by these systems.

The majority of pre-collision systems today use radar instead of earlier technologies such as infrared waves to detect objects.

Waves, like sound waves, are capable of bouncing or echoing. Radar systems, on the other hand, use radio waves instead of sound. Sound travels much farther than radio waves, which are invisible.

Small radar detectors, usually located within the grill of the car, emit pulses of RF waves as part of a pre-collision system. In an external sensor, the time taken for the signal to bounce back is calculated.

The PCS system provides information or assists the driver to avoid potential accidents that might occur if those factors suddenly change.

By using this data, the PCS is able to determine the location, how far away it is, how fast they are moving, and the relative speed of another car very fast.

Pre-collision systems cannot simply wait for bad things to happen when they detect a potential car crash. Which pre-collision systems are available in vehicles today, and how do they help out drivers?

Drivers may hear an alarm to alert them to a possible collision — a warning sound meant to prepare the driver for evasive action.

Other systems are responsible for controlling certain systems in a vehicle. Pre-crash brake systems assist drivers in avoiding accidents by stopping the brakes as fast as possible.

Also, some systems enable passengers’ seat belts to be automatically tightened before a crash by connecting the seat belt system to the PCS unit.

Seatbelt pre-tensioners are often called these. The development of these kinds of systems is highly accurate and fine-tuned as any malfunction or inaccuracies could cause negative results for the driver.

To ensure this does not happen, manufacturers and designers rigorously test pre-collision systems.

Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS)

Particularly for a car’s structural elements, AHSS provides high strength and ductility to all the different areas of the car.

In frontal and rear crumple zones, certain AHS steels absorb a great deal of energy while others are able to resist side and roof impacts.

Special metallic coatings can provide outstanding corrosion protection, enhancing safety at the same time.

Because of its unique characteristics, steel has become an industry favorite. Strong, yet lightweight results are achieved with AHSS and UHSS, enabling products that meet both environmental and safety standards.

Child Restraint System (CRS)

In cars, children can be secured in either a forward-facing or a backward-facing system. Infants and very young children benefit especially from systems oriented away from the direction of travel.

In small children, the head-to-body weight ratio is significantly higher, so they are protected from cervical spine injury by facing backward. Child safety seats should be installed in the direction of travel for older children, whose neck muscles are more developed.

An anchorage system using ISOFIX for children and a top-tether anchorage using ISOFIX

It has been available since 2014 to fix child safety seats to vehicles based on ISOFIX, a universal product standard.

It was developed in Europe to provide independent child restraints for vehicles without seat belts.

A child car seat that is ISOFIX-compatible is connected to the vehicle through manufacturer-installed connection points.

On the back seat cushion and back of the seat back are dedicated anchorage bars; the attachment connectors on a compatible child seat attach to those anchorage points.

Furthermore, the top tether strap of the child seat is attached to an anchorage point in the vehicle, preventing the top portion of the child seat from moving around.

Your seat’s bottom can be secured with ISOFIX attachment points built into the car or with your existing seat belt.

Depending on your state, laws may require that the child seat be attached to the top tethering point, regardless of whether the lower part of the child seat is secured with ISOFIX or with the vehicle seat belt.

Before installing an ISOFIX car seat, make sure you read the installation manual carefully.

Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)

Brake fluid can build up if you apply too much pressure, which results in a lockup of the brakes, which locks the tires, which makes the car difficult to control. Driving physics teaches us that most dangers do not occur when tires are locked up at a straight-line stop.

When a car skids perfectly straight to a stop, it will usually skid to a stop in most cases. It is not possible to steer your car if your brakes and tires are stuck and not spinning.

The tires of your car must be moving in order for them to steer and actually change directions. A panic stop is always followed by another action of steering your vehicle to avoid what is on the road – regardless of whether perfect driving conditions are present, wet, or snowy.

The car simply plows forward when the tires are locked in full lock. Modern vehicles are equipped with ABS in order to prevent this very issue.

Your wheels are detected by a number of sensors in this system. Sensors determine when the wheel/tire is close to locking up when brake pressure is applied.

The sensor communicates with the ABS module, or controller, which in turn sends a signal to the module, or individual vanes, for ABS. This keeps your brakes from locking up no matter how hard you push because the ABS modulator pumps and regulates them systematically.

Despite ABS brakes’ careful timing, your tires will not lock up completely under maximum braking power. So, when you apply maximum brake pressure while steering, you can still steer.

As you step on the brakes with ABS engaged, you will feel a vibration. When the ABS system is activated, some vehicles display an ABS light. As your vehicle comes to a stop, your brakes will pulsate even if you hold down the brake pedal.

When driving in winter conditions, casual braking triggers the ABS very easily. During snow and ice, people become much more familiar with how ABS works. You can still steer and avoid something in the road, even though this might seem annoying in a panic situation.

Having your brakes locked out may slow you down, but it also makes it less likely that you’ll lose control if you do. The car would probably not stop until it hit something if it lost traction.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

A driver’s control over their vehicle is always being improved by new technologies.

Firstly, a trusted anti-lock brake system (ABS) is deployed which avoids the wheels from locking up preventing the car from skidding.

Secondly, there is traction control, which keeps wheels from spinning if they do not get sufficient traction on the road.

With ESC, the vehicle’s stability is controlled electronically. In order to ensure that the vehicle is headed in the right direction, this automatically computer-driven system improves stability.

Stabilizing the vehicle on the road is made easier with the help of the ESC. Several sensors monitor the vehicle’s traction level through the ABS and traction control systems.

The ESC is known elsewhere as the “electronic stability program” (ESP) or the “dynamic stability control” (DSC).

Even when a driver’s vehicle is skidding or sliding, electronic stability control helps them remain in control. Uncontrollable vehicles are less likely to crash, and any crashes that occur are less severe, preventing injuries or even saving lives.

SUVs or vehicles with similar high centers of gravity can also be prevented from rolling over by ESC. Such vehicles are equipped with it as a standard feature.

Some people may believe that electronic stability control enhances a vehicle’s capability to corner, but this is not true. Taking a corner will be easier because the driver has greater control of the vehicle.

It is more efficient than a human driver at activating electronic stability control, but it isn’t infallible. The vehicle’s traction and handling may be compromised if it is going too fast.

Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)

When you switch between the brake and accelerator pedals while holding the brakes, this feature prevents rollback on an incline. In some versions, your car can also be prevented from rolling forwards on a decline.

Detection of an incline is done by vehicle sensors. As you switch from the brakes to the gas pedal, the hill start assist maintains the brake pressure. The brake is released as soon as you press the accelerator.

If the driver lets up on the clutch, the hill start assist will also maintain brake pressure in manual transmission cars. You should continue to drive up hills, for example, as usual. Hold the brake using the same pressure you would for a normal stop, such as at a stop sign.

Keeping your foot off the brake pedal should prevent the car from rolling back while you shift away from the pedal.

Multi-Collision Brake (MCB)

An airbag is deployed in an accident causing the Multi-Collision Brake to operate automatically in order to minimize the chances of further accidents.

During the moment of an airbag deployment, MCBC monitors degrees of depression of the accelerator and brake pedals part of the time. During MCB operation, the strength of the braking takes precedence over automatic braking by Multi-Collision Brake when the brake pedal is stepped upon over a certain level.

In this case, the Multi-Collision Brake system will keep the brakes held down even if the driver removes their foot or if there isn’t enough pressure on the brake.

Despite the fact that Multi-Collision Brakes reduce the speed during an accident to help reduce the risk of another accident, it does not prevent any accidents completely.

A driver can depress the accelerator pedal to avoid other dangers that may occur as a result of the collision. Once MCB stops the vehicle, the brakes are no longer controlled by the system.

Drivers will need to be able to stop pressing the brake or stop hitting the gas to react properly depending on the situation, to avoid further accidents.

Vehicle Stability Management (VSM )

Generally, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which electronically stabilizes your vehicle also includes Vehicle Stability Management (VSM). Especially on wet, slippery, or rough roads where traction can suddenly become uneven over the four tires, this feature ensures that the vehicle stays stable when accelerating or braking suddenly.

The ESC system can cause warning lights to illuminate on the dashboards of vehicles that have lots of miles on them, even when the driveability of the vehicle is not impacted.

There are a few basic components that all ESCs use to make their decisions. It uses algorithms to control the different sensors in the steering wheel.

An ESC system may also incorporate a way to alert all the sensors that help activate the brakes.

It is these sensors that are mainly used in large, top-heavy SUVs in order to stop cars from rolling over in an accident.

Sensors on the vehicle are linked to the ESC, which makes decisions based on that data in order to keep the vehicle safe on the road. Knowing how these sensors function makes it easier to find out what’s wrong with your car if you have an issue.

It compares the information from SAS inputs, WSSs, and accelerometer sensors continuously via the CAN system to determine if the vehicle is responding as expected or as desired by the driver, whether it is a separate unit or embedded in another controller (ABS module, for example).

ESC will make the necessary corrections if the vehicle does not react in the manner in which the driver intended (sliding condition) if it does not.

According to the inputs from the driver, the electronic controller determines whether the front wheels are under-steering (they turn slower) versus over-steering (they turn faster).

In combination with the WSS data and sensor data of the yaw, the system will perform calculations accordingly and apply wheel brakes accordingly. According to the information available, the ESC module may decide to apply brakes to one wheel or several wheels.

Right-side brakes may be applied only if the vehicle may apply the right-side brakes only if it is understeering. When a vehicle exhibits oversteering or fishtailing while making a right turn, the opposite occurs.

A driver can take back control only by using the outside or left brakes. A driver can also get back in control if the ESC cuts the throttle so the car slows down and can brake more effectively.

Skid conditions may be indicated by ESC lights flashing to alert the driver. As the ESC returns control, the driver may also experience power loss and hear the ABS functioning.

In addition to the ESC programs, other features may be added to improve normal driver stability issues.

Some ESC systems also allow trailer sway to be controlled by monitoring the trailer’s yaw on the towing vehicle. A tow vehicle’s brakes will be automatically applied by both systems and will bring the vehicle and trailer back into alignment.

It may be possible to integrate corner braking, which improves the vehicle’s stability during slippery turns or when traction varies from right to left, into the ESC system.

ESC will be able to stop the exterior wheels from suddenly stopping in order to equalize braking force since shifting weight to the outside will result in an uneven force at the wheels.

ABS will provide balanced braking on roads with friction differences across the road, however, drivers often have to steer to maintain control on the road.

When this occurs, the electronic stability control (ESC) may direct steering commands to the steering system before the person in the driver’s seat even recognizes the necessity.

Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)

Many car manufacturers have active safety systems known as the Emergency Signal System, which is used to alert the vehicle behind to the presence of an emergency brake stop.

There are several instances in which cars collide with the rear end of other cars simply because the driver of the colliding vehicle does not recognize that the vehicle next to them is braking hard.

Across the globe, road accidents of this nature contribute to a significant number of fatalities. A vehicle running behind must be alerted to hard braking.

In this way, such accidents will be minimized in the long run. A signal system such as Emergency Signal System comes into play in this situation.

Rear-end collisions are caused by hazard lights or brake lights that glow similarly for panic or hard braking as they do for normal braking.

If the car ahead brakes hard, it is impossible to detect whether it is doing so at a normal rate. The Emergency Signal System works on this principle.

Brake Assist System (BAS)

When activated by panic or emergency braking, Brake Assist (BA), or brake assist system, applies maximum braking force. As a result of BAS, your vehicle’s brakes are applied at full strength in an emergency braking situation, allowing you to stop sooner.

By the late 1990s, automakers developed and released BA, which is now built into most new cars’ braking systems. Even today, automakers are offering more advanced systems that supplement traditional BA and improve upon it.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA)

By using the FCA system, vehicles can be automatically slowed down and alerted to potential collisions when radar or camera sensors detect other vehicles or pedestrians on the road.

FCA’s Electronic Stability Control (ESC) automatically applies the brakes when necessary to provide greater protection.

Brake Assistant System (BAS)

When a driver activates a vehicle’s emergency braking or panic braking, a brake assist system (BAS) applies maximum brake pressure.

As a result of BAS, you will stop sooner in an emergency braking situation since your vehicle’s brakes will operate at full strength. It began as a high-end vehicle safety feature in the 1990s and has now been integrated into most new cars’ braking systems.

Further advancements in forward crash avoidance systems have been offered by automakers that work with traditional BA systems and improve on them.

By measuring speed and force against baseline thresholds, the brake assist system (BAS) responds to how the driver presses the brake pedal.

Drivers who slam on their brakes quickly and with enough pressure are detected as having an emergency.

Eventually, the ABS takes over to prevent the wheels from locking by applying full braking pressure on the brakes. Mechanical and electronic BAS are the two main types.

Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)

Both the BSC and Avoidance Assist sensors are mounted in the rear bumper to track nearby vehicles. The sensors identify vehicles following close behind in adjacent lanes when you move forward on the freeway.

Reverse gear sensors alert the driver if a vehicle approaches from the side as he or she backs out of a parking space or driveway.

There are also passive warnings for the driver, such as amber-colored indicators that illuminate on the side rearview mirrors and inform the driver when nearby vehicles are in the area.

Blind-Spot Assist will alert the driver if another car is found in the blind spot while the driver is changing lanes or backing up.

The BSW system detects vehicles in your blind spot with cameras, radar, or ultrasonic sensors mounted on your vehicle. The driver is typically given a visual warning if a vehicle is detected, typically in the side mirrors or on the front pillars next to the driver’s window.

In some BSW systems (for example, those that shake the steering wheel to signal an unsafe lane change or merge) when drivers activate the turn signal, an audible and/or tactile alert is given to the drivers.

Cross Traffic Alert

Radar units usually found at the corners of vehicles are used for cross-traffic alert systems.

As vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians approach from the sides, these radar units provide an audible warning for the driver.

On a reversing camera display, an arrow is often displayed as part of a visual alert. Based on the detected object’s orientation, it indicates its direction of approach.

An automobile with a blind spot monitoring system will typically also include a rear cross-traffic alert. There are times when this is not the case. There are times when cross-traffic alerts are an extra charge.

Many factors determine the effectiveness of a technology.

For instance, reversing from a space in a mall parking lot where your fellow motorists should be driving much slower than when reversing onto a busy street where vehicles travel at higher speeds may prove less reliable than when reversing from a parking space on a busy street.

The first scenario gives you a much shorter response time. According to the second scenario, you are required to do so.

Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)

Some type of radar system is typically mounted at the corner of a vehicle to alert drivers of cross-traffic. In the event that one or more approaching vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians are detected from the side, these radar units provide the driver with an audible alert.

Reversing camera displays often include an arrow in a visual alert. Detected objects are indicated by their direction of approach.

The rear cross-traffic alert is commonly included with blind spot monitoring systems. There are times when this is not the case. Sometimes, the cross-traffic alert feature is an extra-cost option.

In order for the technology to be effective, several factors need to be taken into account.

Reversing onto a road where traffic is traveling at high speeds may not prove as reliable as reversing from a parking space at a mall parking lot, where motorists are expected to be driving at a much slower pace.

A situation in the first case requires you to react much more quickly. If the second scenario occurs, you will do so more easily.

Unlike most driver assistance systems, rear cross-traffic alert does not replace sound judgment or paying attention on the part of the driver.

Driver Attention Warning (DAW)

Driver attention warnings are advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that detect drowsiness or distraction in drivers. The driver attention warning alerts drivers if a possible danger is detected.

In order to refocus their eyes, the driver may blink more frequently, move their heads, or pull over until they are fully awake again.

A driver attention warning system that monitors the driver’s eyes is one of the most popular on the market. Infrared light is used by driver eyesight cameras to determine a driver’s eye position as well as how long they have been open.

Driver eyesight cameras can even detect fatigue or drowsiness by monitoring pupil size.

In order to detect if a driver is looking at the road or another object in front of them, driver attention warning utilizes driver eye monitoring.

A visual warning will be displayed on the instrument panel of vehicles whose drivers appear distracted.

An audible warning sound, a flashing light, or even an instrument panel icon are possible warning signals. Eye movements that do not match driving scenarios will trigger these alerts.

When drivers fail to look ahead before changing lanes due to drowsiness or distraction, head movement driver attention warning systems alert them.

Movement of the driver’s head may also be used to detect distraction in some driver attention warning systems. While driving, the driver may move their head a lot or frequently.

A driver’s behavior can also be assessed by examining this information, including how often he or she changes radio stations or uses his cell phone.

Reverse / Forward Parking Distance Warning (PDW)

If the car is traveling forward or in reverse, it will warn the driver that an object, animal, or person is detected within a certain distance.

Final Thoughts

Safety should be a top priority when you are on the road.

While there is always a risk involved when driving anywhere, most modern vehicles have great safety systems with amazing features that help keep you safe when driving. Understanding your security system will allow you to get the most out of it.