Are you thinking about buying a car for your teenager? As a parent, the safety of your children is of paramount importance, so it can be difficult to know how to balance cost against safety.
You want to have confidence that your teen is as safe as possible every time they go out in their car. While you can’t always guarantee the safety of other drivers, you can at least have peace of mind that you’ve protected them as best you can. If you buy used cars you need to check them, if the car was in accident before. You can do that via vin check.
There are a few things to consider when looking for the safest cars for teens. Read on to find out so that you can buy in confidence.
Driver Assistance Features
Thanks to advances in technology, safety features that assist the driver have become more common in recent years. They can now be found even on budget cars, so it’s worth looking for these features when looking for cars for teens.
A lane departure warning system is usually in the form of a light on the wing mirror which illuminates when you are changing lanes. This can be beneficial in lots of different situations.
Automatic emergency braking is a feature where forward sensors in the car will cause the brakes to automatically apply if an obstruction is close.
Lane-keeping assist makes small adjustments to the steering in order to keep the driver in their lane. This shouldn’t be confused with autopilot. Lane-keeping assist will disable if it senses that the driver has not interacted with the steering wheel.
Crash Test Scores
While parents can do everything in their power to protect their teens by purchasing a safe car, sometimes accidents are unavoidable. So it’s important to make sure that the car has an excellent crash test score.
Look up test scores on NHTSA once you’ve shortlisted a few cars and see which comes out on top. While you may be inclined to get your teen the smallest car possible in order to save money, these cars often have poor scores due to their small crumple zones.
Safest Cars For Teens: What to Avoid
Being a parent sometimes means making decisions that your teens won’t be happy with. The last thing you want is to have to make calls to an auto accident lawyer because you gave in to your teen’s demands.
Big cars and trucks take extra skill to drive, and while they’re safer due to their size, the likelihood of crashing is increased. This is also true for cars with high seating capacity.
If your teen is really into cars, they’ll probably want something that has some power. While it’s hard to let your kids down, a powerful car is a bad idea as it can encourage dangerous driving.
The Choice Is Yours
Remember that no matter how much pleading your teen may do, it’s your choice which car they get. By all means, listen to them and take their desires into account, but following the advice in this article should help you make a decision that will keep both you, and your teen happy.
The safest cars for teens don’t have to be old, boring, or ugly. With a little research and scouting around, you’ll be sure to find a gem of a car that is both safe and fun.
For more information and advice on all things automotive, check out the cars section of the blog.
