Your teen’s first vehicle

Buying a car is an important decision, especially for a teenager with limited driving experience. Because liberation and personal mobility may be of primary interest to a young person, it’s imperative that parents help address practical considerations in choosing a first vehicle. What most new drivers need is safe, reliable and affordable transportation. Parents and teens should remember vehicle ownership is a process, not a one-time event.

What parents should know

Before considering the purchase of any vehicle for a teen, keep these important points in mind:

Safety behind the wheel should be a priority. Each year, more teens die in car crashes than from any other cause — including disease, drugs, suicide or homicide.

Per licensed driver, teens are two to three times more likely to be involved in a crash than adult drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Passengers can influence driver behavior and compound distractions. With one peer passenger in the car, the crash risk for novice drivers increases 30 percent. The risk doubles with two peer passengers and triples with three.

Young drivers have trouble managing distractions. Sending text messages and using cell phones or other electronic devices behind the wheel endangers drivers, passengers and others sharing the road. To better understand dangers imposed by such practices, view the brochure Drive Safer, Talk Later.

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