Looking to invest in a new cab in 2023 or wanting to make your existing cab safer for you and your passengers? Consider these important safety features if you do.
Just like finding the right taxi cab insurance, there’s no better place to get help with your business than here at Taxi Insurer. Whether you have one vehicle or a whole fleet, when it comes to taxi cab insurance, our specialist insurance team is always here to help.
15 safety features that are well worth having
As a professional driver, whether you're buying a new vehicle or looking to improve on your current set of wheels, a key thing to think about are safety features. Advances in safety technology are some of the most important research and development work that modern car manufacturers do.
From features that protect you and your passengers to those that aim to avoid accidents altogether, it’s a continual process of improvement for all car makers. So, what 15 safety features should you be looking for in your next cab?
Be aware not all of these features are included as standard. For example, side airbags for rear passengers would be very useful in a taxi, but may only be offered as an optional extra.
Also, many manufacturers have their own acronyms and terminology for these features and may function in slightly different ways.
1. Electronic Stability Control
This clever piece of kit constantly monitors your car and detects if it’s about to lose stability or is at risk of a skid. Whether due to difficult driving conditions or driver error, it will act quickly to help keep your car under control.
2. Autonomous Emergency Braking
Autonomous emergency braking systems use sensors and cameras to look out for any potential collision. If one is detected it will automatically apply the brakes. This can either reduce the severity of accidents or even prevent them altogether.
3. Anti-lock brakes
So-called anti-lock brakes provide better control and help prevent skidding when you have to brake in an emergency.
4. Adaptive cruise control
Using radar sensors and cameras, adaptive cruise control automatically adjusts your speed to maintain a safe, pre-set distance from the vehicle ahead.
5. Lane keeping systems
These systems warn you if you start to drift out of your lane. More advanced examples will even make steering adjustments to keep you in your lane. Helpful indeed, particularly on longer fares on motorways.
6. Speed limiting devices
Read the Taxi Insurer ultimate guide to speed limiters to find out all about these important new safety devices. Be aware speed limiting technology is already mandatory for new vehicles in Europe and may come into force in the UK eventually.
7. Visibility aids
Modern cars do tend to have poorer visibility than older cars. Parking sensors and a reversing camera are a must if you want to avoid any accidental bumps and scrapes that could see you claiming on your taxi cab insurance.
8. Smart seatbelt reminder
Ensure that everyone is safely buckled up before driving off with this smart piece of tech. Also look for pretensioned and load limited seatbelts, Isofix child seat mounts, and good head restraints.
9. Attention monitoring systems
After a long shift, driver fatigue can be a real concern. Indeed, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), claims driver fatigue results in many thousands of road accidents every year.
These systems monitor for tiredness and remind you when it’s time to take a break.
10. Blind spot warning systems
Unseen vehicles in your blind spot can lead to tragic consequences. These systems alert you to their presence before it’s too late.
11. CCTV and telematics
Should you install cameras in your taxi fleet is a question that many taxi business owners will consider. A modern telematics system linked to CCTV can provide important information for your taxi cab insurance provider and a greater sense of safety for you and your passengers.
12. Tyre pressure monitoring systems
Tyres that are under- or over-inflated not only affect fuel consumption, they also affect car safety. While you’ll no doubt check tyre pressures regularly, having such a monitoring system in place will provide some extra peace of mind – especially if you have a large fleet to maintain.
13. Safety screen
Fitting a safety screen in your cab not only helps protect you against a physical assault from a passenger but also against illnesses like COVID-19. If you’re wondering how to fit a screen in your taxi, read this Taxi Insurer article.
14. Active headlights
These systems have additional lights to help provide more visibility when cornering. Some even detect cars ahead and automatically adjust headlights to reduce glare and provide maximum illumination.
If you’re driving a lot at night, take a look at our top tips.
15. Airbags
There are now many different types of airbags to help protect you and your passengers in the event of an accident. Some of the most common are:
- Dual stage airbags – these respond in different ways depending on the severity of the crash.
- Seat-mounted side airbags - these help protect the pelvis, chest and abdomen in a side-on crash.
- Side curtain airbags - these drop down from the roof to protect the heads of passengers in a side-on crash.
- Knee airbags – these help protect passengers from life-changing injuries to the legs.
When choosing a new car for your taxi fleet be sure to find out how it performed in the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) safety tests. You can use its free 'How safe is your car?' online tool to do this.
Get specialist taxi cab insurance for your business today
Safety features like these can only do so much - you also need quality taxi cab insurance from a specialist like Taxi Insurer to help protect your livelihood.
With access to a panel of leading UK insurers, benefits of cover arranged through us may include:
- Protected No Claims Bonus
- Cover for Minibus, MPVs and Car
- Cover for private and public hire
- 24-hour claims management service
- The ability to pay in instalments
- Mirror NCB from other insurance policies
- UK-based call centre
Give the helpful team at Taxi Insurer a call today and arrange a quick taxi cab insurance quote.