When you’re in the market for buying a used car, one of the things you want to take into consideration is safety. You want that used car to be just as safe as a new car. After all, you’re transporting your most precious cargo: your friends, family and yourself.
The good news is that, unless you’re buying a vehicle that’s more than 10 years old, your used car is going to have frontal airbags as standard equipment.
What do frontal air bags do, exactly? Well, they help to prevent the occupants of the vehicle from hitting the inside of the vehicle during a crash. They don’t mean you don’t have to use a seat belt, and they don’t offer much protection in side impact crashes, rollovers, or rear end crashes.
Some used cars might have side air bags, which serve a different purpose than frontal air bags. Side air bags are made to protect the head, the chest or both during a side crash. Some are designed for only the chest, some for the head, and some for both.There are different types of side air bags, including “curtain” side air bags that will protect both rear and front vehicle occupants in the event of a crash.
When you’re looking at used cars, make sure you know what safety features are available to you.