Safety first, when selecting a car for novice drivers

We love our kids. That is why I suggest,

"When purchasing a car for a novice driver, invest in the safest car you can afford!!!"

My son totaled the family Windstar van ten days after he got his license- a deer was standing in the middle of the road as he went around a curve. He could not comprehend hitting it and ran off the road into a tree. Thank God he had air bags, good tires and lots of steel around him!

My daughter totaled my husband's Intrepid, while driving up to college. She was on the freeway (before touch screen cell phones so I know she wasn't texting) and didn't notice that all the cars ahead of her had come to an abrupt stop. She stepped on the brakes and the nose went into the SUV bumper. Her airbag did not go off, because she was nearly perpendicular when she hit the SUV. However, it was lots of steel and she was shook but unhurt. She asked me to get her stuff from the trunk, as she could not bear seeing the car again. When I saw it, I nearly lost my lunch.

The cars I shopped for all had safety in common. My kids have driven SAABS, Volvos and Subarus, highly rated the year of purchase- though as I can see from clicking on these names and reviewing their current ratings, things change!. All of our cars have been gently used.

My son has our old SAAB in LA and he has learned to fix it himself. I am sad to hear that SAAB is bankrupt, as this car was a phenomenon. Vail and Aspen policemen once drove shiny, black SAABs, as they were wonderful mountain cars.

Come to think of it, used police vehicles are available for purchase at auction. The most popular police car is the Ford Crown Victoria.

New York City Taxi Cabs must be safe, right? They also go on sale!

I know there are lots of parents who get their kids sports cars or lemons. For me, I want my kids in the safest, steadiest and most reliable cars on the road. Auto accidents account for more deaths annually than wars. I do not understand the type of reasoning that would place a novice driver in a compromised vehicle.

When I taught Auto Safety for an insurance company in the late 1980s, I would always suggest parents first look at the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration safety rating sheet before considering which car to purchase. NHTSA tests cars and rates them on a scale of 1-5 stars.

Here is a link to NHTSA's used car ratings...

Another safety issue is the level of your child's skill. Skill can save lives. Both my kids were trained by a local company founded by race car driver Ronn Langford, whose youngest daughter lost her life in a car accident. Mr. Langford was heartbroken, but determined to help other parents avoid his personal tragedy. He started a company called Master Drive, which set kids up for success.

He says every week on our nation's highways, the equivalent of two planes crash, killing everyone on board. Every week!

His classes are on the expensive side, but this investment could be the most important money you ever spend. I credit the skid course for keeping both my kids cool behind the wheel and reacting immediately to startling road conditions- events that would stymie adult drivers.

If there is no such driving school in your area, I suggest you look into skid courses through your local Fire/Police Department. Our county offers these classes, because Master Drive has been so successful in reducing teen deaths.

After looking at the NHTSA ratings, I referenced Consumer Reports. They have taken the time to compile a list of recommended cars for teen drivers specifically. I have linked to one of their articles. I think I might consider a KIA, if I were to purchase a car for my kids to drive, today.

If you laugh along with the Boston Car Guys, you might want to check out their Teen Driver Page, which includes a Driving Contract and lots of other useful advice for both parents and teens. That link is below as well.

We all love our kids and want them to survive their teenage years. Equipping them with a skill set and top notch equipment goes a long way toward insuring they achieve their twenties intact. Good luck!

When my kids were learning to drive, my son (he was a boy scout at the time and was earning an graphic arts badge or something similar) designed a bumper sticker for his elder sister that read,

"Student Driver- get off the road fast!"

We noted that impatient drivers around a novice do not understand why she might be driving slowly or sometimes, erratically. She was nervous and made several attempts before switching lanes, etc. This communication helped the drivers around us in the same way that light signals did- it alerted them to our situation. We kept this sticker on the bumper through the first two kids, but my son's loss of the Windstar also meant the loss of this sticker.

I found the bumper sticker to the right at Amazon and several at eBay below. Drive safely!