• Turn to the experts for advice. AAA and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provide crash-test ratings and information at no charge. Ask your AAA office for the brochure Buying a Safer Car or request a copy of AAA Auto Guide: Buying or Leasing a Car available in fall 2001. For more details and helpful articles, visit more of this web site area or www.nhtsa.gov.
• Choose a vehicle designed to reduce serious injury. A solidly built car can offer greater protection to drivers and front-seat passengers. Your teen's car should be large enough to provide crash protection, but easy to drive. Ensure pillars, window posts and other devices don't create visual blind spots, and make certain the car features outside rearview mirrors with a large field of view.

Also, select a vehicle with good handling characteristics, and avoid models that tend to understeer or oversteer. Choose a model with a relatively low center of gravity. According to NHTSA, the more "top-heavy" a vehicle, the more likely it is to roll over.

• Consider a vehicle's passenger capacity. Crowded passenger compartments can compound distractions. Choose a sedan, avoiding the very large models or the smaller compact cars or subcompacts. Avoid vans, sport utility vehicles and trucks with multiple rows of seats and large capacities.
• Select a vehicle that speaks of responsibility. Avoid glitzy, expensive sports models or high-performance "muscle" cars that may tempt a teen to drive recklessly or too fast. Also, choose a coupe instead of a convertible. Ensure the vehicle has standard paint and detailing and is equipped with "street legal" tires, wheels, horn, exhaust system, window tinting and lights.
• Choose a familiar model. When driving an unfamiliar vehicle the risk of crashing goes up about 25 percent. It's not a good idea to put young drivers into vehicles with unfamiliar handling characteristics. Consider a model similar to the type in which they learned how to drive, then ensure your teen-ager spends a lot of time practicing in that car before you let him or her drive alone.
• Invest in a vehicle with modern safety features. Ensure the vehicle is equipped with driver and front-passenger airbags and height-adjustable shoulder belts in the front and back seats. Also, ensure the car features adjustable and lockable head restraints. Anti-lock brakes and traction control also are desirable features. Avoid cars with manual seatbelts or passive (automatic) restraint systems.
• Ensure the vehicle is equipped with a user manual and emergency kit. The manufacturer's operating manual often covers operation, maintenance, precautions and safety tips. Encourage your teen to read the booklet and understand how to follow instructions, from checking tire inflation to dealing with problems. It's also a good idea to teach your teen what to do in case of an emergency. For more information on the subject see The AAA Guide to Trouble-Free Travel and What to Do When Your Vehicle Breaks Down.
• Minimize distractions. While a good vehicle sound system is a nice option, remind your teen that it also can be a serious distraction. Loud noise can mask the sound of emergency sirens and other auditory signals. Educate your teen-ager about responsible driving practices that encourage paying attention to the road.

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