Safety innovations that are popular with car buyers

Perhaps you have suffered an injury in a vehicle accident and never want to go through that again. Perhaps you have never been in a crash and hope you never will be. Either way, vehicle safety features are probably important to you, especially if you are in the market for a new or late-model car, SUV or pickup.

Vehicle crashes can happen in the blink of an eye and some result in devastating injuries. That is why automobile manufacturers and designers keep coming up with the innovative safety features that are becoming so popular with car buyers. Every little bit helps. Here are five of the latest innovations to consider.

AEB: Automatic Emergency Braking

If the AEB system senses an impending collision and you do not brake fast enough, the system will go into action and brake for you. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has collected data that indicates that rear-end collisions have decreased by 50 percent with vehicles equipped with AEB.

ACC: Adaptive Cruise Control

A good feature to have on long trips, ACC uses grille-mounted radar and sensors to monitor the distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. The system automatically accelerates and brakes as traffic conditions require.

Lane Departure-Lane Keep

The lane departure system uses a buzzer in the seat or in the steering wheel to warn you when you begin drifting out of your lane. The lane keep feature guides you back between the lines.

Rear-view Camera

When you are backing out of the driveway or parking spot you want to see what is happening behind you. The rear-view camera uses a wide-angle lens to provide you with an angle of at least 180 degrees, great for ensuring that there are no children, animals or shopping carts in the way.

Blind Spot Detector

You look over your shoulder and use your side mirrors to see what is approaching or what might be in your blind spot. Now your vehicle can be equipped with a blind spot detector. Small yellow or orange lights in your door mirrors provide a warning that there are nearby vehicles you might have missed.