IIHS Releases List of Safer Affordable Vehicles for Teens
Vehicle safety experts at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety say that many teens are not driving vehicles with the best safety technologies. To address the issue, they have made a list of their top recommendations. Since a new vehicle is not in the budget for most families' teenagers, experts provided a list that includes used vehicles. They said that research showed nearly 85 percent of parents bought used vehicles for their teens.
There were two separate levels included on the list of recommendations, and these included various vehicles in different price ranges from below $5,000 to $20,000. Experts stressed the importance of considering a teen's first car as more than a financial issue but also a safety concern. Of the 500 parents interviewed in the survey, almost 45 percent said they bought vehicles for their teens about the same time they started driving. Small cars and mini-cars were the most common types of vehicles purchased, and nearly 50 percent of those cars were made in 2006 or before. Experts say this is problematic due to the lack of safety features and technologies in older cars.
A separate study revealed that teens killed in vehicle accidents were more likely to drive smaller or older vehicles than adults killed in accidents. About 30 percent of teens killed in recent crashes were in smaller cars, but only about 20 percent of adults over the age of 35 were driving small cars during a fatal crash. More than 80 percent of the teens killed were driving cars that were six years old or older.
Experts recommend that parents keep several important principles in mind when purchasing vehicles for their teens. First, do not give teens vehicles with high horsepower, which may tempt them to drive faster. Second, keep in mind that heavier and larger vehicles fare better in collisions. No small vehicles or mini-cars are on the list of recommendations, but smaller SUVs are included due to their higher weight. Third, look for vehicles with ESC to help maintain control on slippery roads. Lastly, remember that a vehicle should have at least a good rating by the IIHS in the overlap front test, four or five stars from NHTSA and at least an acceptable rating from the IIHS on a side crash test.
The average purchase price for a vehicle among parents surveyed was less than $10,000. For this price, there are plenty of options on the IIHS's recommendations list. There are even a few that cost under $5,500. At the prices many parents want to pay, it is difficult to find a safe vehicle. However, experts remind parents to keep the cost of the vehicle and the potential risk of a lack of safety technologies as well as the consequences of not having them in mind. If parents find themselves short on money, a possible solution is to suggest teens get a job to help pay for the cost of a safer vehicle.
All of the vehicles on the list have standard ESC as well as good or moderate overlap front crash ratings. The vehicles in the list costing under $10,000 have acceptable or good side crash protection, and they also have better head restraints. Vehicles on the recommendation list that cost under $20,000 have good head restraints and good side crash protection ratings. To compare the recommended safe vehicles, see the recent IIHS list by clicking here: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/iihs-issues-recommendations-on-used-vehicles-for-teens-after-research-finds-many-arent-driving-the-safest-ones#lists
If you have questions or concerns on this issue, do not hesitate to call Zeiler Insurance and speak to one of our customer service representatives. As an independent agency, Zeiler Insurance prides itself with quality customer services for the people of the Chicago-land area and the rest of the Midwest. Customer or not, we can review your insurance and see if you are being protected appropriately for the right price.
-Karli Zeiler
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