Choose the Safest Car for Your Teen

By Floyd Arthur

All parents of teenagers want their children to drive the safest and most reliable car on the road. Unfortunately for many families, buying or leasing a new car with all of the latest safety features for a young driver is a luxury they cannot afford. According to the Insurance Highway Safety Institute, most parents buy their teens used vehicles, spending between $5,300 and $10,000 on the car. Even within that price range, however, it is possible to find an affordable option that will be the safest car for your teen.

Improvements in vehicle safety over the last 10 years means that more and more used cars are equipped with safety features such as driver and passenger side airbags and electronic stability control. These cars may cost a bit more, says the IIHS, but they are proven to save lives.

How to Choose the Safest Car for Your Teen

In October of this year, the IIHS released its list of the safest cars for teens along with a few common-sense suggestions for keeping teen drivers safe. Its recommendations include the following:

Avoid “muscle cars:” Giving a young, inexperienced driver a high-horsepower engine is inviting trouble, experts say. Teenagers are biologically programmed to take risks, and they are much more likely drive too fast in a 300-horsepower Mustang than a Honda Accord. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes in 2012 and was responsible for 10,219 deaths.

Go for big, heavy cars: Overall, larger cars fare better in crashes than their smaller, lighter weight counterparts. Furthermore, an analysis by the Highway Loss Data Institute shows that teen drivers are less likely to be involved in an accident if they are driving a heavier car.

Insist on electronic stability control: Mandatory on all new vehicles since 2012, electronic stability control helps the driver maintain control on curves and slippery roads. Since its implementation, the technology is credited with cutting single-vehicle traffic fatalities in half.

Do your homework: At minimum, any car you choose for your teen should have a four or five star safety rating from the NHTSA. Look at crash-test statistics, too: The car should have at least a “good” rating in the IIHS moderate-overlap front test* and acceptable ratings in the IIHS side crash test.

**A crash test that simulates a 40-mph partial head-on collision in which at least 40 percent of the front of the vehicle is involved in the crash.

Some of the Safest Cars for Teens

A safe, reliable car for your teenager doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here are a few of the under $10,000 models on the IIHS list of safest cars for teens, along with their 2015 Kelley Blue Book value as of September 2015.

Volvo XC90--2005 and newer ($4,600)
Subaru Tribeca/B9 Tribeca -- 2006 and newer ($6,000)
Volvo S80 -- 2007 and newer ($5,800)
Volkswagen Jetta -- 2009 and newer ($5,600)
Volkswagen Passat sedan -- 2009 and newer ($7,300)
Ford Fusion --2010 and newer ($7,400)
Mercury Milan -- 2010 and newer ($7,400)
Chevy Malibu -- 2010 and newer ($8,200)
Honda Element -- 2007-2011 ($6,700)
Volkswagen Tiguan -- 2009 and newer ($7,900)
Subaru Forester -- 2009 and newer ($9,000)
Dodge Journey -- 2007 and newer ($8,700)

Choosing the right car for your teenager is a very important decision, and making the wrong choice could cost your child his life. Teens are three times more likely to be involved in an accident than adults 20 years and older, so it is worth spending a bit more to keep them safe. Additionally, it essential to have adequate insurance to protect your family from financial disaster if your teen driver wrecks his car or injures someone else.

We at Carmoon Group Ltd. are experts in home, automobile and business insurance, and we invite you to come in and discuss your needs with us. We are available every weekday from 9 a.m. to 6.p.m, so call 516-292-3780 to schedule an appointment, or request a free consultation online today.

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