Choosing a safe car for your teen

For a teenager, getting a driver’s license is an exciting time. As parents or guardians, it can also be a very stressful time for you. The first years that teens spend behind the wheel are very risky—in fact, they have the highest death rates of any driver age group. You can help protect your teen driver by choosing a safe vehicle. Here are some tips to consider:

Don’t tempt them Teen drivers often lack not only driving experience, but also the maturity of older drivers. So when you’re picking a vehicle for your teen, avoid sports cars or other vehicles with high performance features that could encourage speeding or other reckless driving.

Choose something stable Higher centers of gravity make sport utility vehicles—especially the smaller ones—inherently less stable than cars. As a result, abrupt steering maneuvers—like the kind that can occur when teens are distracted or over-correcting a driver error—can be more likely to cause rollovers. A more stable car would, at worst, skid or spin out.

“Size up” the vehicle Teenagers should drive cars that offer good protection in case they do crash, and large vehicles offer much more protection than smaller ones. This doesn’t mean you should put your teen in the largest vehicle available. Many mid- to full-size cars offer more than adequate crash protection. Consult a vehicle’s safety ratings if you have questions.

Avoid older vehicles It may be hard to imagine, but handing over the keys to a brand new vehicle may be the best choice. Most of today’s cars are better designed for crash protection and offer more safety features than vehicles of even 6-10 years ago. Plus, more safety features could mean less cost when it comes time to insure your teen driver. For assistance, consult the websites of the U.S. Department of Transportation or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Source: Insurance Information Institute