DEAR CAR TALK: You recently answered a question from another 83-year-old woman who asked about upgrading her car for a newer Subaru with more safety features. I just want to second your advice. I took your suggestion and bought a new car with such features, and I love it! I feel much safer now. Thanks. - Barbara
RAY: Thank you, Barbara! Indeed, there are technologies that are worth upgrading to now. We particularly recommend cars with city- and highway-speed automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist. Those can be lifesavers. And then there are the mere fender savers, like rear cross-traffic alert and audible parking sensors.
And while these technologies are great for everybody, they're particularly helpful for older drivers, whose reflexes may have slowed down a bit. Automatic emergency braking, in particular, is awesome. If you don't notice that a car in front of you has slowed or stopped, you'll get an audible warning. If you don't react and hit the brakes yourself, the car will then hit the brakes for you in order to prevent or lessen the severity of an accident. It's pretty amazing
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety maintains a pretty good list of cars that have the most up-to-date safety equipment. You can find the 2018 picks at www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/TSP-List. Look for cars with TSP-Plus ratings (Top Safety Pick Plus).
And if you actually go out to buy one of those cars, be sure to carefully check the equipment on the exact car you purchase, since many of these features are still optional.
So, some cars on the lot will have the good stuff, and some identical-looking cars won't. Triple-check - or better yet, bring a grandson who plays linebacker with you to deal with the salesman.
And Barbara, we hope these technologies get you safely through the next decade, when you can write back and I'll recommend a self-driving car for you.
If it ain't broke, you won't have to fix it! Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" Send $4.75 (check or money order) to Car Talk/Ruin, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.