Winter can be a drag on driving, especially if you have to deal with snow and ice. But due to advanced safety technology, you can now log some cold-weather miles without as much worry.
"Advanced crash-avoidance features started out as options on a few luxury vehicles and have steadily spread to more of the fleet, including mainstream cars," says Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Because many of the newer safety options are bundled, it's nearly impossible to split the features out one by one in terms of cost, says Carroll Lachnit, features editor for auto website Edmunds.com. "In 2012, bundles ranged in MSRP from $100 to $30,000," she says, referring to the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Of course, one of the most important safety aspects of winter driving isn't technology. It's the driver. A lot of these technologies rely on driver reaction, and Lachnit says that all of the alarms in the world won't make up for an inattentive driver or one who doesn't know what to do in an emergency situation.
However, until you can take an advanced driver-training class, as Lachnit suggests, here are six car safety features that can help out on those winter roads.