Teen Drivers – Vehicle Safety is Within Your Control
There are seemingly countless safety considerations when your teenager starts to drive. Strategies include making sure your teen is educated about distracted driving dangers and executing a safe driving contract for them to follow. Parents also have the opportunity to be a good role model. Before your teen begins to drive, demonstrate safe driving while they are with you in the car. Once your teen has the keys to a vehicle, so much is out of your control. The one aspect over which you can have total control is the type of vehicle they will drive. This article will offer some choices for safe cars for teens.
It goes without saying that a teen with a brand new license probably should not be given a brand new sports car. Other inadvisable choices include massive SUVs that are difficult to handle and guzzle gas. That leaves so many options. One may want to look to the experts at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a U.S. nonprofit organization with a focus on crash prevention and vehicle safety. The Institute has put forth some criteria for vehicle safety specifically geared toward teenaged drivers.
- Teenage drivers should not have access to high horsepower -a powerful car can tempt them to test limits.
- Heavier, larger cars are safer. They offer more protection in a crash. Research has shown that young drivers are less likely to crash larger cars in the first place. The list of safe cars for teens does not include any minicars or small cars. There are some smaller SUVs are on the list – the weight of those vehicles is similar to that of a midsize vehicle.
- One safety feature that is considered a must by the Institute is ESC (electronic stability control). ESC helps the driver maintain control of the vehicle on slippery roads and when navigating curves. The feature offers a risk reduction on par with that of safety belts.
- The vehicle you choose for your teen driver should have the highest safety ratings possible. Minimally, that means a good rating by IIHS in various crash tests and a 4-5 star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The above criteria were kept in mind while curating the following list of safe cars for teens. This list is not definitive, as the IIHS has a list of 53 best choices for vehicles under $20,000 and 62 for under $10,000. This list was kept to seven and focuses primarily on average cars rather than SUVs or pickup trucks.
Note that prices vary according to the area of the country.
4 Used Cars Under $20,000
- SUBARU OUTBACK – 2013 or later. The Outback is a Wagon/SUV with side airbags, head curtain airbags, and front torso airbags. This model also includes a rollover sensor that is designed to deploy the side airbags when a rollover is impending. The vehicle also has ESC, daytime running lights, and antilock brakes.
- NISSAN ROGUE – 2014 or later. This SUV has safety features on par with the Subaru Outback and is rated a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS.
- TOYOTA TACOMA ACCESS CAB – 2016 or later. In addition to the safety features listed for the Outback, this truck also has driver and front passenger knee airbags and airbags located in the lower instrument panel, which are designed to mitigate knee injuries in front crashes. Note that a truck is not the safest vehicle, but if for some reason your teen driver requires a pick-up this will be one of the safest/most affordable picks.
- ACURA RLX – 2014 or later. This luxury sedan also includes a knee airbag in addition to the safety features listed for the Outback. It has been a Top Safety Pick+ since 2014 and has gotten better since.
3 Used Cars Under $10,000
- NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN – 2013 or later. Another sedan, the safety features included in this vehicle are front and rear head curtain airbags as well as seat-mounted front torso airbags. The Altima also has a rollover sensor, ESC, and antilock brakes. Some models of the Altima 2013 and newer have had several recalls, so be aware of that, and be sure to pull the recall and repair history.
- SUBARU OUTBACK – 2010 to 2012. This has been a solid vehicle since 2010, and the older models are less expensive. Testing trends suggest that the older models may fare worse in terms of safety for the “small overlap front” test rating, but since no testing has been done, that cannot be confirmed.
- KIA OPTIMA – 2011 or later. The Optima, a midsized sedan, boasts great safety records. The newer the vehicle, the higher the quality with this model. The 2011 Optima has an IIHS Top Safety Pick classification.
Watch the YouTube video from IIHS with updated information about safe cars for teens.
It is often a frightening prospect for parents to hand their teenage driver the keys to a vehicle. One of the ways in which parents can maintain some control is by choosing a vehicle that has performed well in safety tests.
Foothill Farms Truck Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a truck accident lawyer in Foothill Farms, California. I have been offering legal representation as well as free and friendly advice for nearly 40 years in the Foothill Farms area. If you or a family member has suffered injuries in a car crash, reach out to my office at (916) 921-6400 or toll-free number (800) 404-5400.
Past client reviews can be found at the sites linked below:
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