Teen Cars – What to Look for and What to Avoid

If you’re the parent of a teen who is ready to drive, even thinking about buying a vehicle for them can seem overwhelming. You’re likely thinking about cost and safety. But your teen may have their own preferences they’re hoping you’ll fulfill, and safety is likely not their number one preference. To help, here’s a list of things to look for and things to avoid when shopping for a car for your teen.

What to Look for in Teen Cars

A few things to look for in your teenager’s first vehicle are:

1. Safety

Safety should be priority. Whether you’re purchasing a used or new vehicle, you’ll want one with as many safety features as you can afford. You’ll want to look into advanced safety features that help back up your inexperienced teen driver, such as:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Electronic stability control
• Blind spot warning systems
• Strong obstacle performance
• Forward collision warning
• Limited acceleration

These are all important features to take into consideration.

 2. Technology That Decreases Distraction

A big issue with teen drivers is distraction, with texting while driving one common, but dangerous one. Ford’s MyKey and Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics systems help to promote safer teenage driving by providing parents with the ability of blocking incoming texts while your teenager’s vehicle is in motion.

3. GPS Tracking for Teens

Ensuring the safety of their teen drivers is a parent’s highest priority, but it can be more difficult to do once they’ve gotten behind the wheel. Teenage drivers out driving the family vehicle around can be hard to monitor, but fortunately there is GPS tracking for teens that help parents do that. GPS tracking devices are made to keep parents on top of:

• Unsafe behaviors behind the wheel
• Where their teens are at all times
• Education on developing safer driving habits

What to Avoid in Teen Cars

A few things to avoid when buying your teen a vehicle are:

1. Speed

While your teen will likely want that sports car, it may tempt them to race other vehicles on the road. Purchasing a sports car begs for abuse. Parents instead should take what’s known as the “Goldilocks approach.” This means, purchase a vehicle that’s not too fast, but also isn’t too slow either. While your teen might not think this is the coolest vehicle around, it will be safer for them to drive until they’ve gained more driving experience. Again, GPS tracking for teens can provide you with alerts so you know when your teen is speeding.

2. Not Budget for Teen Insurance

Since teen drivers are inexperienced with a higher crash rate, teen vehicle insurance is often more costly than it is for experienced adult drivers. Purchasing a used vehicle could help you obtain a better rate. You’ll want to contact your insurance provider before you buy and let them know you’ll be wanting to add your teen driver onto your policy.

3. Very Cheap Used Cars

While used cars make better first cars for new teen drivers, you will want to avoid dealers that sell very cheap used vehicles with crazy deals. Usually, they’re covering up for vehicle flaws. Individual sellers or car sellers who are upfront with the facts about the vehicles are more reliable. Refer to a local consumer protection agency or the Better business Bureau before you buy. Or, check out the list IIHS and Consumer Report collaborated on safe used vehicles for teens.

One other thing, when it comes to picking a safe car for your teenage driver, vehicle size, safety, crash test performance as well as other features are more important than the vehicle’s age.

To learn more about GPS tracking for teens, contact us here at LiveViewGPS at 1-888-544-0494.

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