Safety - before, during and after an accident

Here's a look at how some of GM's safety features work to keep you protected before, during and after an accident.

Before

All-Wheel Drive (AWD): Adjusts torque distribution within a fraction of a second and sends torque to the wheels with the best traction.

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS): ABS helps the driver maintain proper vehicle steering control during hard braking, even on slick surfaces. ABS is standard equipment on most GM vehicles.

Traction Control: A system that automatically applies brake pressure to appropriate wheels to limit wheelspin and help re-establish traction.

StabiliTrak: The StabiliTrak™ electronic stability control system intervenes automatically to help prevent lateral skids and restore steering control.

StabiliTrak with Proactive Roll Avoidance (on most SUVs): Reduces the vehicle's tendency to roll over in a panic situation.

Xenon High Intensity Discharge Headlights: Dramatically improve visibility when compared to conventional Halogen headlights.

Articulating Headlights: Headlights automatically pivot to illuminate the area you're steering towards. Called Adaptive Forward Lighting, this high-tech feature assesses both speed and steering angle, then employs a software algorithm to determine the angle of adjustment. At maximum, the inside headlight adjusts by five degrees while the outside headlight adjusts by fifteen degrees.

Magnetic Ride Control® suspension: Employs sensors that read the road 1000 times a second. The system incorporates magneto-rheological fluid to automatically adjust the damping of each individual shock absorber for optimal ride characteristics.

Variable Assist Steering: Adjusts the vehicle's assist at various speeds for greater stability, manoeuvrability and road feel.

Lane Departure Warning and Side Blind Zone Alert: A camera, mounted in the rear-view mirror, reads the lines on the road. Should the vehicle stray, the system alerts the driver via visible and audible cues.

During

Seatbelt Pre-tensioners: Reduces slack that may exist in a seatbelt system at the moment of a frontal collision.

Driver and Front-Passenger Frontal Air Bags: Front air bags help restrain the driver and front passenger in moderate to severe front impacts. Dual-depth units automatically adjust the deployment of the air bags based on the severity of the collision, the seat position and other factors.

Available Seat Mounted Side-impact and/or Front-to-Rear Head Curtain Side-Impact Air Bags: Seat-mounted and head curtain air bags help provide additional protection in moderate to severe side impacts.

Safety Cage: Helps diffuse impact energy in the passenger compartment and provide strong foundation structure.

Crumple Zones: Crumple zones literally crumple up in a collision, absorbing the energy of the collision, diverting it from the passenger compartment and keeping the safety cage intact.

Side Impact Beams: Side impact cross-car beams help channel energy during a collision.

5-Star Safety Rating: The New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) rates vehicles to determine crash worthiness and rollover safety. The safety ratings are gathered during controlled crash and rollover tests conducted at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's research facilities. Five stars indicate the highest safety rating.

OnStar Advanced Automated Crash Notification (AACN): Automatically notifies OnStar® and provides crash information after a collision. AACN uses additional sensors to detect rear and side impacts even if the air bags do not deploy.

After

OnStar : At the touch of a button, an OnStar Advisor is available to contact emergency help. In a crash, when the air bags deploy, OnStar will automatically send a call for help with the exact location of your vehicle to the OnStar Centre, where live advisors will immediately contact emergency services.

General Motors of Canada is doing its best to design and build some of the safest vehicles on the road. So what does this all translate to? Peace of mind for you and your passengers. Enjoy the ride.