All over the country school has just begun, and with the start of school the roads will have many new teenage drivers. If you are a parent of one of these lucky drivers you may be in the market for their car. There are several safe, reliable, affordable but yet fashionable options to be had.
If you are thinking of buying a car for your new teenage driver, keep in mind they do not have much experience on the road. Safety features are more important above all others. Look for a car with front, side and curtain airbags, high crash test scores and electronic stability controls. Try to avoid purchasing a stick shift for a new driver as they require more attention to the gears which may pull the drivers attention from the road. Sport Utility vehicles and large pickups are also to be discouraged. Both have a high center of gravity which increases their risk of rollover when driven at high speed or making sharp and sudden turns. Sports cars are also on the list of cars to be avoided. Often they are driven much faster than needed and statistically have a higher rate of accident than other models of cars in all age ranges. Always choose the newest car your family can afford, the more recent the model the better the standard safety features will be. Also many newer used cars will still be under manufacturer warrantee. Cars that have ha one owner often come with complete maintenance records. Don’t be shy to request a Carfax report to double check when purchasing a used car. Opt for a 4 door as opposed to a 2 door to lower insurance premiums. While these ideas may vary depending on your own needs, they are good ideas to keep in mind.
A great source to check out is Consumer Reports’ “2010 Best Cars for Teen Drivers”. The cars listed are its “recommended” vehicles, which means they scored well in the magazine’s testing, have had average or better reliability and performed well in government or insurance industry crash tests. Purchasing a safe car is only one step in helping your teen drive well into his eighties. The second part is teaching him or her how to drive properly. This does not mean simply enrolling them in a standard driving course. While such courses are great at teaching the basics, nothing compares to parental input. You need to spend some time out on the road driving with your child. Teach them to avoid such distractions as answering phone calls or turning around to talk to their friends while they are driving. Encourage them to limit the volume of the music in the car so they can pay attention to the road as well as be able to hear emergency vehicles and other cars on the road. This will help focus their attention and make them more alert while driving.