WASHINGTON, D. C. (Monday, May 15, 2017) –– It’s graduation season at high schools and colleges around the United States and in the Washington metro area, and some parents will surprise their graduates with a big-ticket gift – a car.  It is a rite of spring and an important decision. While weighing whether to buy a new or used vehicle for their young person, parents should also consider selecting a safe, reliable, and affordable vehicle. It is a process that should include reviewing crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Graduation day is an important milestone for both teens and parents, but the two may have different opinions when it comes to selecting the ideal car. Some parents buy that first vehicle for their teens once they complete the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program or within a year of the time that their rookie drivers get their driver’s license.  Although “sporty” and “stylish” may be key features on the top ten cars teens want most, AAA Mid-Atlantic understands that most parents are most concerned with the safety of their children.

For the most part parents are cognizant of the fact that every single day car crashes end more teen lives than cancer, homicide and suicide combined, warns AAA. On top of that the average cost of owning and operating a car is $8,558 a year or $713 a month, according to the 2016 edition of the AAA Your Driving Costs  annual survey.

“A teen driver’s safety is a team effort,” said Kendall Bramble, Insurance Counselor, AAA Mid-Atlantic Insurance Agency.  “While teens need to understand their responsibilities behind the wheel, parents should understand their roles in ensuring that teens are driving safe vehicles.”

While times are changing, teens still want cars. And when it comes to that first set of wheels, and trust us, all teens know the meaning of the synecdoche and its place in popular culture, and they desire all that is natty and nifty or snazzy and jazzy. But heavier vehicles are the safest for teenage drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which compiled its “list of the best used vehicles for teenage drivers.”

The list, by the way, did not contain a single minicar or small vehicle. A new car may be the most desirable option for parents, but it also may exceed most household budgets. In many cases, the solution is to purchase a previously owned model. In fact, “45 percent of teens with used cars have parents who cover the entire purchase,” a study by CNW Research showed.  

Make it a family affair if you are considering buying your teen a vehicle for graduation or for the prom. Together with your teen, do the homework, crunch the numbers, and mutually determine the best investment although every teen, it has been said, has a dream car. A national survey of parents shows “83 percent of those who bought a vehicle for their teenagers said they bought it used,” the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) explains. The IIHS survey of parents also showed “the mean purchase price for a teen's vehicle was about $9,800, while the median was just $5,300.

Consider a late-model vehicle equipped with modern safety features. Simply consult NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings by year, make and model at safercar.gov.  The ratings empower consumers to “make smart decisions about safety when purchasing a vehicle.” Parents and teens can also search safety ratings by manufacturer. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens, resulting in thousands of fatalities and many more severe injuries each year, warns AAA Mid-Atlantic.  

Just take a look around the student parking lot at high schools across the Washington metro area. “The majority of both male and female teens owned vehicles immediately upon licensure,” according to an earlier study published in the Traffic Injury Prevention journal. “Family income and number of vehicles in the family were associated with early ownership. A year later 74% owned vehicles.” 

Concerned parents can help protect their teens, who are statistically the riskiest drivers on the road, by selecting a safe car, advises AAA Insurance.  

Teen Car Selection Tips

• Steer away from vehicles that encourage reckless driving. Teen drivers lack road experience. Sports cars – and other high-performance vehicles with a lot of horsepower – may encourage speeding and unsafe driving.
• Pick a vehicle that has the right safety features. Teens should drive vehicles that offer sufficient protection in the case of a crash. New cars are likely to be equipped with the latest in safety gear, but if you’re considering an older car, check for features such as anti-lock brakes, air bags and electronic stability control.
• Don’t let your teen drive an unstable vehicle. Sport utility vehicles, especially smaller ones, tend to be less stable than cars because of their higher centers of gravity. Rapid steering maneuvers – such as when a driver over-corrects to avoid an obstacle – can cause rollover accidents in less stable vehicles. A car with a lower center of gravity has a better chance of safely managing an emergency situation.
• Check safety ratings of vehicles. Before you buy, check online safety ratings of cars you are considering for your teen.
   

Parents and their teens have a raft of issues to consider. Selecting the right vehicle is only part of keeping your teen safe on the road. Parents also need to help their teen learn to operate the vehicle safely, which can be achieved by following through in three primary areas: selecting a quality driving-training program, conducting effective supervised driving and establishing a parent-teen driving agreement.

As every parent knows, insurance for teen drivers can be more expensive since young drivers have yet to establish a track record of safe driving. To learn more about your coverage, cost and discount options, call 888-222-0086 to speak to an AAA insurance representative.

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AAA provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 57 million members nationwide and nearly 78,000 members in the District of Columbia.  AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years.  The not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit  https://aaa.com