The average age of cars on the road is 11 years old, and many of the lifesaving safety features have only come out in recent years. In fact, Consumer Reports recently ranked the top “must-have” safety features on a new vehicle, and a majority of these features is available in the aftermarket. 12Volt retailers should highlight these safety features in their shops for drivers of older model vehicles.

Consumer Reports listed the following safety features as must-haves:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Forward collision warning
• Blind spot warning/alert

The latter two features are available through the 12Volt aftermarket. Many brands offer these products, and the costs range to fit most budgets.

The report goes on to list must-have and nice-to-have convenience features as well, and many of those are also available through 12Volt retailers. Two of the major ones mentioned were Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which encourages drivers to put their phones down when operating their vehicles. Speak to your customers about the value and overall user-friendly experience of these features.

We recently contributed to Vision Zero Automotive Network, which strives to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries through the 12Volt aftermarket. We believe creating safer roads with these aftermarket safety features is an important mission to stand behind as a 12Volt distributor, especially with so many reports emphasizing the benefits of these features.

Are you and your shop educating customers on these safety features? You can increase their on-road safety by keeping their car up-to-date with today’s safety standards.