As the winter months draw in, an increasing number of American drivers must face the prospect of driving home in the dark. Unfortunately, research shows that you're three times more likely to die when driving in the dark, so it pays to choose a car that comes with the latest night driving safety features. If you spend a lot of time driving in the dark, look for the five following optional safety features in your next car.

Active cruise control

Cruise control takes a lot of the effort out of driving. With cruise control, the car's on-board computer regulates your engine and braking system to keep your vehicle a safe distance away from the car in front. More advanced active cruise control systems on some cars now also make night driving even safer.

The latest active cruise control systems have lots of features that can help you avoid a collision at night. For example, some systems will warn you with a beep about a car that is approaching from another lane. Similarly, some active cruise control systems can also bring your vehicle quickly and safely to a stop if your car detects a non-moving vehicle in front of you.

HID lighting

High-intensity discharge (HID) lighting uses different gasses and metal salts within a specially designed glass tube bulb to create an efficient and more effective glow. These lights emit a striking blue-white light that places less strain on your eyes. As such, if you have to drive long distances at night, HID lighting can cut the risk of driver fatigue, which can easily cause a fatal accident.

Multi-zone climate control

It's often difficult (if not impossible) to find a comfortable temperature that suits everybody in your car. During a long overnight journey, you may want the kids to stay asleep in the back of the car, but the driver needs to stay alert. If you rack up the heater to keep the kids warm, you may also send the driver to sleep, with disastrous consequences.

Multi-zone climate control can help you get around this problem. Many models on the market offer dual-zone climate controls that allow you to separately adjust the front and rear of the cabin. Tri-zone systems give you even more flexibility and will allow the driver, front passenger and rear passengers to choose their own temperature settings.

Lane departure warning systems

It's easy to lose concentration when driving at night, but if your car strays out of the right lane for a split-second you could cause a fatal collision. Lane departure warning systems use a simple camera to check that your car hasn't moved outside the road markings when your turn signal isn't on.

If the camera senses a problem, the system alerts the driver using a sound, a warning light on the dash or a vibration through the driver's seat. More advanced systems will even lightly apply the brake to one wheel to help quickly get the car back in the right lane.

Night vision

Several luxury car brands include night vision systems as standard, but some less expensive makes now also offer this technology as an optional extra. Night vision systems use infrared imaging to project an image of the road ahead on a special screen on the car's dash or a head-up display.

Newer night vision systems may include special advanced features. Some systems can detect pedestrians ahead and will flash a warning spotlight on the person's body. These night vision systems will also project warning information on the driver's display to make sure you know a potential hazard is coming.

If you spend a lot of time driving in the dark, it's a good idea to buy a car that has the latest night-time safety features. Talk to a professional car dealer, such as those found at http://www.automaxnm.com, to find out which makes and models have the best range of nocturnal driving safety features.

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