Buying Safe Used Cars for Teen Drivers

Parents, who are looking for used cars to buy for their teenage driver, have a number of criteria that they need to keep in mind. Teenage drivers have some of the heaviest accident risks, and in fact, for drivers between the ages 15 and 19, accidents are the leading cause of fatalities.

Many Burbank parents prefer to buy used cars because they want their teen to have a chance to learn driving skills, and practice on a used car, before he buys a new car. However, many older cars, which are the kind of cars that are found on most used car lots, do not come with highly sophisticated safety features. With all the focus on forward collision warning systems and adaptive headlights, parents are very often concerned that a used car may not keep their child safe. Their budget doesn’t allow them to buy a new car, either.

What should parents do? There are a number of criteria that you can keep in mind while buying a used car to keep your child safe, while staying within your budget. It is not necessary that a safe car should come with a high price tag. There are several vehicles available on the used car market for under $20,000, with excellent ratings for head restraints, side crash protection, as well as head protection to protect from injuries in rollover crashes.

If you can’t find a car in your budget that includes these safety features, Burbank car accident lawyers recommend buying a midsize or larger car like a minivan or SUV. Look for the maximum number of safety features that you can include on your budget. If you are buying an SUV however, shell out extra money for an electronic stability control system because these cars are most prone to rollovers. Look for cars that have lower horsepower to discourage speeding, and cars with the highest ratings in your budget.