On a family trip to Hawaii back in 2012, we rented a Ford Flex that had a back-up camera. Being able to see behind you without wrenching your neck; hearing a helpful beeping noise to let you know you’re about to hit a pillar in the parking garage; it was like a whole new world! We came to rely on that back-up camera very quickly and were sad to leave the Flex behind when we came home.

We bought our Saturn Vue brand new back in 2006 and the safety features at the time were basically anti-lock brakes and a robust air bag system. If we were to buy a new car now, we would probably feel a little intimidated by the dizzying range of new safety features available on today’s vehicles. From helpful “heads up” functions like "bicycle detection" and "curve speed warning", to more advanced systems, like "left turn crash avoidance" and "automatic emergency braking", keeping track of all the different functions (and the accompanying noises) of your car’s safety features might start to seem pretty daunting.

According to this article in Wired, even your car salesman may not be able to fully explain, or help you set up, the latest safety features on a vehicle. Obviously, spending some quality time with your owner’s manual will provide plenty of details but sometimes it helps to have a demo from someone in the know.

That’s where My Car Does What comes in. A collaboration between the National Safety Council and the University of Iowa, the site offers great information about all of the latest safety features available these days, to help you drive safer and smarter.

If you just want a quick tip on how a feature works, check out the series of short videos demonstrating the unfamiliar safety features your new car may have to offer. For a more detailed look at each safety feature, check out the Deeper Learning section, which provides more in-depth information on how each of these systems functions and gives you challenging questions at the end, to see if you’ve retained the information.

My Car Does What also offers mobile and desktop games aimed at helping drivers learn about, and make the most of, the safety features on their cars. Check out this overview video for more info about My Car Does What: 

What safety features does your car have? Do you know how all of them work? Do you think they make you a safer driver? Let us know in the comments!

- Rose R.