Aside from the holidays serving as a time when families get together to spend quality time with one another, it is also a time when many eager parents are out looking to make their newly licensed teen driver’s dreams come true by purchasing them a vehicle of their own. If you are a parent who is the market to buy your teen their very first car, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has a message for you. While most parents “opt for something cute and inexpensive,” when it comes to safety, the IIHS says “that’s a mistake.”
You see, when the IIHS conducted a crash test involving a smaller car with a used, larger vehicle made by the same manufacturer, the “results showed the importance of size and weight when it comes to occupant protection.” The IIHS says that the tests they conducted “reinforce a message they have been sending since it began publishing an annual list of recommended vehicles for teens in 2014.” The source says that despite the “stellar ratings” that these newer, smaller, and more appealing vehicles might have, “an older, larger vehicle is often a safer choice.” Jessica Cicchino, who is the vice president for research at IIHS, acknowledges that while safety is one of the factors that parents look at when purchasing a vehicle for their teen driver, she “hopes [they] will give it extra consideration” prior to making their purchase. The fact is, teens are much more inexperienced than other drivers and are at a much greater risk of engaging in an auto accident.
Therefore, as much as you might be wanting to surprise your teen with the vehicle they have set their sight on months ago, you will want to be sure you put a vehicle’s safety rating first before settling on any one car or truck. To help further prove the point the IIHS is making, below are a few reasons why choosing a safe vehicle for your teen is essential over buying one because of its looks and features.
- In 2016, 2,433 teens in the U.S. between the ages of 16-19 were killed in automobile accidents. That same year, another 292,742 were treated in emergency departments for the injuries they sustained in these wrecks.
[Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention].
- 11 teens are killed every day as a result of texting and driving.
- Each day, six teens between the ages of 16-19 suffer fatal injuries in car accidents.
- “The crash rate per mile traveled is about three times higher for newly licensed drivers compared to 18-19-year-old drivers.”
- “In 2015, it was estimated that only 61% of high school students wear their seat belts.”
[Source: Teen Safe].
Given the statistics mentioned above, it is clear that many teen drivers are killed or suffer injuries in auto accidents each and every day. Some are caused by the motorist themselves while others occur as a result of another driver’s negligence. Therefore, it is essential that your teen is given a vehicle that is safe, sturdy, and will increase their chances of surviving a crash in the event they are ever involved in one.
Now, if your teen was recently involved in a car wreck in Alexandria or Shreveport, LA and you are looking for some legal advice as to how you should handle the incident (i.e. should you file a lawsuit or file an insurance claim), contact The Downs Law Firm to speak with an experienced and skilled LA accident attorney. Our firm has been helping the victims of such incidents along with their families to determine what the best approach would be in order to recover money for the damages they suffered and we are ready to help you too.
To schedule an initial consultation at our office so that we can learn about the accident your teen was involved in, contact us now by calling 318-284-8551
You can reach The Downs Law Firm at:
Bastrop Office
4214 Sterlington Road
Monroe, LA 71203
318-284-8551
Monroe Office
4214 Hwy 165 N.
Monroe, LA 71203
318-284-8551