When teenagers reach the age of driving, parents are often in dilemma whether to buy a car for them or not. Finally when they decide to buy a car, taking decision for which car to buy, which one will be the safest one etc. can be difficult for them. Choosing a safe vehicle is more than anything that parents can do for protecting their teens. This article contains some tips for parents to choose a car for their teenager.
Tips for Choosing a Car for Teenager
Following are some points to be remembered when choosing a car for your teen:
- Do not choose an unstable vehicle: Sporty vehicles, especially smaller ones should be avoided, as these vehicles encourage young teenagers to speed up and test their performance. These cars are more prone to accidents, as during speed there is a possibility of car getting skid or spin out.
- Remember not to pick a small vehicle: Vehicles that are small offers less protection than a medium or larger one in case of accidents or crashes. This does not mean that you should buy a large vehicle for your teenager. Many mid-size cars are available that offers good protection from crash. Make sure that you check out for the safety ratings for the car you are willing to buy.
- Avoid older vehicles: Nowadays car are designed better for crash protection than the cars few years ago. For instance, a new and the latest model with airbags car will be a better choice than the older one without airbags. Before making a final choice for buying a car, it is good idea for consulting department of transportation or The Institute for Highway Safety.
- Look for safety features: Teens are more likely to have crashes when compared to older drivers. So, it is important to look for the advanced safety features which helps your teenager to drive safely like Antilock Brake System (ABS) which help in preventing vehicle's wheel from locking during sudden brakes by which driver can maintain steering control and Electronic Stability Control which helps driver to maintain control of the car during extreme steering maneuvers, traction control which improves vehicle's stability by limiting the tire slip on slippery surfaces.
- Choose an automatic transmission car: Many people think that their teenagers should know both the types, but automatic transmission car will be much better for the new drivers as they do not need to take off their hands from the steering to shift gears. Moreover, there are no hassles of clutch that will confuse your teenager.
- Do take a test drive: One of the ways for determining whether the car you are choosing is best for your teenager or not is to test-drive it. This will give you a good idea about the car's comforts, its speed and maneuverability, which will be right for your teen.