Jeeps are made to take a beating. In fact, many people who buy one of these vehicles are eager to take it off-road and see what it can handle. Jeep knows this, and the company designs the vehicles to safely handle rugged terrain. Of course, many technologies also keep city drivers secure during their daily commute. Here are the six top safety features you can find in a Jeep.
Preventative Roll-Over Technologies
Rock crawling is a high-risk activity that often results in rollovers, and drivers who tow need to drive responsibly to ensure the vehicle stays centered on the road. Jeep has introduced several new technologies to help these vehicles stay grounded, whatever road (or lack thereof) they’re on. These include:
- Electronic Stability Control: Overcorrecting after swerving to avoid an obstacle is a significant cause of rollovers. Understeering while making a turn can also lead to one of these incidents. The Electronic Stability Control system helps address this by automatically applying the brakes and/or reducing the torque if the system detects a loss of steering control. The technology can even use the brakes on the wheels individually.
- Electronic Roll Mitigation: This system engages if a rollover is likely. Specifically, sensors detect the likelihood of wheel lift. If the vehicle’s weight begins to shift, indicating that a rollover is imminent, Electronic Roll Mitigation automatically reduces the engine power and applies the brakes to help ensure that the Jeep stays grounded.
- Trailer Sway Control: This safety feature is part of the Electronic Stability Control system and uses the same sensors to detect when a trailer’s weight is pulling on one side of the Jeep, likely leading to a dangerous sway. The Trailer Sway Control function temporarily increases the braking force on one side of the vehicle to rebalance the force and bring the vehicle back under the driver’s control.
Heads-Up Technologies
The abovementioned systems kick in automatically when the sensors detect that the driver is beginning to lose control. Other active technologies, however, help keep a driver aware of the road around him. Here are a few examples.
- Forward Collision Warning with Active Braking: This system, available on select Jeep models, detects if the driver is approaching too quickly on the vehicle ahead. An audible chime warns the driver of the hazard.
- Parkview Rear Back-Up Camera: This camera system assists drivers when backing up to help with parking and confirm that the space behind the vehicle is clear. This system is unavailable on the Sport or Sport Altitude, but it is standard on all other 2017 Cherokee 4×4 models.
- Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist: Another feature exclusive to select Jeeps, this technology helps drivers safely park. The system steers automatically; drivers only need to brake and accelerate.
There are many other safety features in modern Jeeps, but these are some of the most practical and the most interesting! Visit the dealership to see these and other technologies in action.