When teenagers get their first driver’s license, and the time comes to get their own car, parents usually don’t want to splurge on a new car, and buy their kids a used one, instead. This is probably because teenagers are not very keen on taking good care of their cars, so spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new car that would probably be put under a lot of strain and would incur high maintenance costs for years to come doesn’t make a lot of economic sense. But, this practice might have serious safety implications and jeopardize teenage drivers’ lives, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The IIHS did a research on how safe the vehicles teenagers usually drive are, and found that they don’t have good safety features that could protect vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. According to a survey the IIHS conducted recently, the vast majority of teenagers drive used vehicles. The Institute surveyed 500 parents from all over the country, and 83% of them said that they have bought used cars for their teenage kids. When they were asked what type of vehicle their children drive, 28% of parents said that they have purchased minicars or small cars. More than 50% of the used cars parents bought for their children were made in 2006 or earlier.
Vehicles that are at least 5-6 years old are less likely to have good crash-protection features, such as side airbags and electronic stability control, IIHS says. These features can help a driver maintain control of the vehicle and protect both the driver and the passengers during side collisions. With these facts in mind, the IIHS has provided several guidelines regarding the types of vehicles that are both safe enough and affordable and can keep teen drivers safe.
One of the most important recommendations is to avoid vehicles with high horsepower, since teenagers tend to drive very fast, exceeding the speed limit, which puts them at risk of getting into an accident pretty often. Furthermore, parents are advised to buy larger and heavier vehicles for their kids, as they provide better protection during collisions. This is a complete opposite of most parents usually do, choosing small, compact cars that are less expensive to insure and maintain, and are easier to control, not paying attention to the fact that these vehicles often have poor safety ratings.
As far as safety features are concerned, the IIHS strongly recommends vehicles that are equipped with electronic stability control, a feature that is particularly useful when driving on slippery roads and on curves, as it helps reduce loss of traction. Lastly, parents always need to take crash test ratings into account, and consult IIHS and NHTSA ratings before they go and buy a vehicle for their teenage kids.
To sum up, if parents take these recommendations seriously, the number of teenagers that are severely injured or killed in motor vehicle accidents could be significantly reduced.