How to make your old car safer on the road?

Cars have become a lot safer in the past few years. The government has mandated a lot of safety norms for automobile manufacturers. So, the cars now come with ABS with EBD, driver airbag, high-speed alert and rear parking sensors as standard. However, there are still a lot of cars that are running on the road which are not equipped with these features because they were sold when the safety equipment was not mandated. Today we list down a few ways through which you can make your old car a bit safer.

Mechanical upgrades

As time passes, the brake lines can develop cracks and can rupture under pressure. So, it is important that you replace them after some time. It would be better that you get brake lines that are steel braided ones as they perform better under pressure. Then you can invest in some better quality brake pads, preferably ceramic ones. This is because they will last longer, have less brake dust and stay stable under different ranges of temperatures.

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The second thing that you can upgrade is the suspension. As time passes, the suspension system can wear out. The car then becomes unpredictable under hard braking and emergency manoeuvres. The car can pull in one direction and that can be very dangerous. New suspension systems are expensive but can improve how a car feels significantly. You would also have a lot more control over the vehicle. You can also install anti-roll bars as they can reduce body roll under hard cornering.

Transform your driving style

This is one of the most important ways that a person can follow. The average speeds have increased and the legal highway speeds have increased significantly. A driver has to be ready for surprises so he needs to be attentive. You might be able to react timely but your vehicle might not because of its age. So, it is always better to brake early, slow down and stay away from suicidal drivers.

Rear parking camera and sensors

It is always advised to install a rear parking camera along with sensors. They would ensure that you do not hit another vehicle while reversing and more importantly you would be able to avoid hitting a pedestrian.

Interior

You can also make changes to the interior. Some older cars came with exposed metals and very hard plastic parts that could hurt the occupants. You can cover such things with foam or some other cushioning material. You should also cover up sharp objects that can injure the passenger. Other things that you can do are install seatbelts with pretensioners.

Exterior

There are some changes that you should make to the exterior of the vehicle. You can get brighter bulbs for the headlamps. They will increase the visibility significantly and will help while driving at night. You should also ensure that the tail lamps, parking lights, turn indicators and reverse lights are working. If they are not working then you should change the bulbs as soon as possible. These help other people in spotting your vehicle more easily.

Another thing that you can upgrade is the tyres. As time passes on, the rubber gets hard which increases the chances of skidding and breaking traction. New tyres would have a significantly better grip and the extra traction will definitely decrease the braking distance while emergency braking.

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