In keeping with our (recently established) tradition, we’d like to start the new year by highlighting upcoming auto-related technologies--especially the novel types that save lives.

Though we tend to be more safety-focused, we appreciate the bells and whistles of flashy new trends that seem straight out a sci-fi movie scene; some of which definitely made our list:

Adaptive Headlights

Adaptive, or matrix headlights, automatically adjust high beams in the face of oncoming cars while keeping the rest of the road illuminated and are able to be aimed more precisely than regular headlights. The headlights...

It’s been an eventful 2021 to say the least, and we’re going into the new year with high hopes and safe wishes for all! 

Thanks to you, our readers, the On The Safe Side blog has had its best year ever! 

Readership increased in record numbers, and more and more visitors showed interest in the various topics we touched on. 

In order, here are the top 5 articles you clicked on in 2021:

5) 4 PIECES OF TAILGATING TECH YOU'LL GET A KICK OUT OF

Just in time for the start of the NFL, this blog entry dropped a quick list of tailgating essential gadgets that’s still in season (at least until the Super...

Who says a premium safety feature has to cost like one?

We’re all about having best-in-class systems at average-consumer-level prices, and these 5 popular cars help make the case for that.

Hyundai Sonata
Priced at an affordable $24K, Hyundai’s popular sedan comes with brake assist, lane keep assist, an effective blind-spot system, and a backup camera that definitely make it worth the low price tag.

Toyota Camry
At around $33K, the popular Camry comes with a backup camera system which accompanies features like automatic braking, collision warning, lane keep assist, and a blind spot system.

Nissan...

If “hindsight is 20/20” was a gadget, it would be the dash-cam. 

Mini but mighty, dash cams are the most underrated yet useful pieces of tech out there. 

Since privacy and recording laws differ state to state, cars aren’t legally required to have them, but when utilized, they assist with a multitude of issues: 

- Lowering Insurance Premiums 

While it inherently influences a driver to be more aware of their habits on the road since they’re being recorded, it’s also the perfect tool for accident-recording and resolving liability issues should they arise. Establishing that you’re not at fault...

If the early headlines are any indication, then this winter might be a tough one. 

When it comes to safeguarding yourself and your family against icy, whiteout, and freezing conditions, the time to begin winterizing your vehicle and mentally preparing is now–especially if you’re in the northernmost U.S. and Canada. 

So we’ve collected some tried-and-true tactics that have stood the test of time, and updated that list with some modern strategies (namely some cool tech right from the RVS collection). 

Visibility

- Warm up your vehicle and cab first to reduce the chances of your windows fogging...

There are a long list of warning signs to keep an eye out for if you’re in the market for a used car.

You’ve heard of the usual red flags, especially when it comes to prices, financing, and mysteriously missing paperwork; in true RVS fashion, we’ve decided to focus on more tangible, safety-related warnings–the types that you can either see or feel (and even smell).  

• Mismatched/Recent Paint Jobs 

While it seems innocuous on the surface, a patchy paint job on a car can point to recent damage that may have just been brushed over, instead of professionally fixed. This is a red flag regarding both...

Though vehicles (and sometimes your patience) can take a beating during the holiday season, nothing tests drivers more than Thanksgiving weekend--and that will go double for this upcoming 2021 Thanksgiving weekend, as the post-pandemic rebound continues. 

Ever in a giving mood, we’ve gone ahead and compiled some of the Thanksgiving forecasts (directly from AAA) to help you guide or plan for the worst in those long drives:

Top 20 Most Popular Travel Destinations

• Orlando, FL 
• Anaheim, CA
• New York, NY
• Dallas, TX
• Phoenix, AZ
• Honolulu, HI
• Kahului, Maui, HI
• Atlanta, GA
• Tampa, FL
• Ft. Lauderdale, FL...

This list of car models with the most accidents won’t come as a surprise to many adults, especially parents with teen drivers. 

While it doesn’t cover the deadlier aspect of car crashes, it certainly highlights the danger that comes with certain demographics being behind the wheel and what kind of sporty, compact, and (sometimes) fast cars they tend to favor.

Thanks to insurance company data, we can see which of these models are making up the majority of accident reports in 2021:

• Subaru Impreza

Though it’s the most affordable model on this list with the highest overall safety ratings and safety...

Both large-commercial and consumer-facing vehicles regularly take on a shared enemy: the blind spot. 

Whether caused by extra thick pillars, small windows, bad sightlines, or high dashboards, a lack of visibility is responsible for its share of accidents. 

It also plays a huge role in the failure of maneuvers like backing up, parallel parking, and lane switching, which many drivers are apprehensive towards.

Luckily the aftermarket for blind-spot-elimination offers many options, and of course, we’ve got the most powerful of the bunch: 

RVS-118 Blind Spot Sensor System

You know the area slightly...

You’re an average driver with a decent driving record, your car model is quite a popular one on the road, but you still think there’s room for improvement as far as your insurance premium goes. 

We know you’ve already heard the conventional tips like bundling, shopping around for rates, keeping your record clean, avoiding sports cars, and taking defensive driving classes--but we’ve got a few that are a little less-known. 

• Investing In A Safety Camera/Sensor System 

Spoiler alert: we’re kicking this off with an obvious RVS pick here. You may not necessarily get a discount from your insurance...

Getting home safely; it’s something we take for granted, and that’s just fine. 

We’re not ones to fear-monger, and making roads safer one safety-system at a time is how we’re able to take our minds off the dangers of driving.

Still, on average, around 40,000 people a year die  from crashes, and approximately another 3.3 million are seriously injured. 

2021 hasn’t been kind to drivers either, with 21,450 people (a 17% increase from 2019) dead from motor vehicle accidents, according to early National Safety Council estimates. 

So, it’s easy to empathize with these responses to a recent survey...

Stemming from a change in driving habits and a post-lockdown increase in drivers on the road, vehicular crashes in the first quarter of 2021 were the highest since around 2009. 

It’s thought that the emptier roads during the lockdowns encouraged drivers to drive faster and pay less attention, two behaviors which seem to have followed drivers to the more crowded highways of 2021.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 8,730 people died in vehicle crashes in the first 3 months of 2021--an increase of 10.5% from the same period of time in 2020 (which saw 7900 fatalities)....

It’s that time of the year again--fall leaves on the ground, cooler weather, and hundreds of super-excited football fans crowding stadium parking lots and having a blast.

Yes, tailgating season has started, and we’re not one to leave you out in the cold (even if your home team does). 

Here are 4 crucial gadgets that will make your tailgating experience the best of the (literal) lot. 

Portable Power Pack

Tailgating can go on for hours, but your vehicle’s battery can not. Bringing a portable power pack ensures you have enough juice to power phones, electronic grills, music, TVs, and still be able...

It’s that time of year when we geek out about the fancy updated tech in new model vehicles being released!

Whether it’s decked-out dashboards or super-sensitive safety sensors, we’re always on the lookout for standouts in vehicle-innovation.

Since we like to stay grounded with our lists (because everyone should be able to be safe), we’ve picked some of the more popular vehicles on the road to highlight: 

2021 Hyundai Elantra 

The 2021 model of the popular compact sedan not only comes with a slew of sleek lines on its exterior, but a souped-up 8-inch touch-screen infotainment system, a 10.2-inch...

We all know the usual suspects when it comes to raising your vehicle’s insurance premium: a teen driver, location, accident history, car type...

There are, however, some more unusual and less thought-of factors that we either take for granted or just ignore: 

Marital Status 

This makes sense, as not only married couples divide driving time between themselves, but tend to be a little more careful, as they’re likely to be carrying precious cargo. Stats have shown that married people are involved in up to 50% fewer accidents, compared to single drivers. The lowest risk group? Married, middle-aged...

There’s “safe” according to the car companies, and then there’s safe according to the IHHS. 

Through unbiased scientific research and testing, IHHS ratings factor in crashworthiness, cab safety, effectiveness of headlights and sensors, braking, lane departure systems, and collision warning systems. 

Being the safety-centric company that we are, we love nerding out about which 2021 vehicles made top picks in their respective categories, so here goes 5 of the best:

SMALL 4-DOOR SEDANS 

2021 Honda Insight 

Reintroduced in 2019 after a 4-year absence, the Insight’s standard Honda Sensing tech...

We know it’s a completely biased statement coming from us, but we’ll reiterate it every chance we get: visibility is vital, and we hang our hat on improving it whenever possible!

Although safety systems were recently made standard by most makers, many vehicles feature overly thick pillars, small windows, bad sightlines, and/or high dashboards--the main offenders when it comes to hindering visibility. Here are a few: 

Porsche Boxster

In the land of compact roadsters, the Boxster makes drivers of all heights struggle with visibility, as the roof hinders sight when it isn't in convertible mode...

How exactly are 360° bird's eye camera views made?

No, there’s not a downward-facing camera hanging from a 20-foot pole attached to the top of cars with a 360° system.

There’s neither a drone always hovering above your vehicle, nor a satellite tracking you from 12,000 miles up. So exactly how is the monitor on your dash getting that perfect vehicle overview?

Though every other new make and model vehicle is being released with a 360 camera, from the Camry to the Silverado, it’s probably not clear to the average person how those signature birds-eye images are actually produced.

It’s a little bit...