Twilight proof cars

Edward Cullen was the epitome of a perfect man.  He is good-looking, tall, dresses well, and he shines in the sun.  He is a gentleman, well-mannered and educated; in fact, he has studied for more than 100 years. He is rich, he has a sister that predicts the future (good for stock investment) and he can also read your mind.   He is caring, sensitive, strong, fast, and immortal and a vampire.  He fell in love with a weak human girl.

For more than five years now, this has been the fantasy of the every “twi-hard” (twilight fans), which included girls at age 13 to mothers who were already embarrassed to say they liked it and that they watched the movie alone (you know who you are).  If a handsome, caring, sensitive and loyal-for-life guy would love you, who wouldn’t want to live forever?  But the catch is you’re human, prone to accidents and can die by just hitting your head on the steering wheel if your accident happened before the 1970s (The airbag became standard when Ford did an experimental fleet of cars with frontal airbags in 1971).  What cars should your vampire-boyfriend consider to keep you safe from the hazards of driving, so he can just focus on the other vampires who want to eat you?

Safety features to look for

The safety features of vehicles have come a long way from the introduction of the telescopic shock absorbers that has given cars a smoother ride in the 1900s.  According to the Chicago Tribune, there are now Breathalyzer ignition locks, Ford and Mercedez Benz are now including inflatable seat belt as part of the safety features of some their vehicles.

Jim Gorzelanzy, a Forbes contributor and author of Automotive Intelligentsia, itemized several new innovations that make a car safer when driving on the road. These are: Electronic Stability Control, which adjust the throttle and brake automatically to help reduce slipping and control loss; Blind Spot Alert and Crash Warning Signals, using sonar, sensors and/or lasers, this alerts the driver on impending collisions with vehicles, pedestrians, objects and other vampires.  Lane Deviation Warning basically shows if you are veering away from your lane.

Other things that I thought would be helpful are rear, side and top cameras, a feature basically ensures that you are not going to be running Jacob over while sleeping in wolf form because it shows you what is behind your car that is now within eye or mirror level.  Adaptive head lights, which adjust angles and brightness; Active Head Restraints which aims to lessen neck injuries on collisions; Driver Fatigue Systems, basically uses both cameras and computers that detect If you are driving erratically from your normal conditions. Gorlzelanzy also took into consideration the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety ratings on  the current vehicle models for front, rear, side collisions and roll-over protections;  So just to sum up, here are some of the safest cars available in the Philippine market.

The Volvo

According to Forbes “Safest Car for 2012” list, Edward Cullen’s choice, which was featured on the first book/movie as his personal car beside his Vanquish, was the Volvo.  There were three entries in the Forbes list, which included the S60, S80 and the Xc60.  According to Volvo Philippines website all are equipped with Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive cruise control, blind spot information system, collision warning (city and pedestrian version), driver alert system plus a lot of other active safety features.   In the Volvo system, there is a warning bell and a message that its time for you to take a break or Edward has to go bite something.

Mercedes  M class

Offers the A Distronic Plus proximity control, which basically lessens the stopping distance when traveling in high speed.  It also has the Pre-safe brakes, which not only sends an audible warning on impending collision, it initiates deceleration just in case you are too busy doing other things like fighting off the Volturi.   The M Class has adaptive brake lights, Attention Assist and has options for Active Lane Keeping and Active blind spot assist.

BMW 5 Series

Described by Forbes as the “sportiest midsize sedan on the road but also the safest.”  Has adaptive headlamps, lane departure and collision warning, blind spot monitoring.  It has night vision (good when you’re doing nocturnal spying) and a video monitor for side/top view (there is no way he can sneak up on you).  Some models have an electronically controlled 4-wheel drive system that transfers power to wheels that don’t have traction to allow the vehicle to get out of slippery situations

Audi A6 and A5

Both full and mid luxury sedan were included in the Forbes list.  Audi’s are equipped with a lane change assistant called side assist, lane assist, smart beam headlight and Audi’s have the trademarked Quatro technology that puts permanent power to all four wheels producing better traction.   The A5 coupe has adaptive cruise control as well.

Even with these driver aids nothing beats being careful and driving smart.  Technology cannot replace the human brain and responses.  Of course at the end of the day, if you have a death wish or forcing your vampire-boyfriend’s hand into making you immortal, no amount of safety feature can keep you scar free from stupidity.

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