Keeping
It Safe
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.
