You probably have a long wish list for your car. Maybe it's important that the car you purchase have a manual transmission and a CD player. Or perhaps you aren't too picky as long as your car isn't yellow or gold. Whatever you're looking for in a vehicle, you should definitely add safety to your list of must-haves.

Even though most teens plan on being safe and responsible behind the wheel, teenagers are statistically at risk when they drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 15 to 20. And, teenagers are involved in 14 percent of the nation's car accidents even though they make up only 6.8 percent of all drivers on the road.

So when you prepare to make your purchase, think about what kind of car will keep you safest. When shopping for a safe car, there are a few features you should look for. Make sure the car you buy is new enough to have dual airbags and anti-lock brakes if you can afford it. And try to buy a car with a good crash-test rating. You can check these ratings at www.nhtsa.gov and www.iihs.org. Consumer Reports recommends midsized cars from the last six or seven years or smaller car-based sport utility vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester or Honda CRV as safe first cars for teens.

It's a good idea to avoid high-powered cars like sports cars and muscle cars because they're very expensive to insure and because they have so much power, they're easy to drive too fast. Also, try to buy a car that has a low center of gravity and is not prone to rollovers.

But, the bottom line is that no car is completely safe. Larger, heavier cars do better in accidents with smaller cars, but big cars are not usually fuel efficient and can be cumbersome to maneuver. Your best bet is to buy a car with as many of the newer safety features you can afford and with good crash test ratings.

Do your research before you buy. And while you're checking out the bass on the sound system, make sure you don't forget to put safety first.