How to make sure your teen driver is in the safest vehicle possible
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Having the young person in your family get their driver's license can be life changing for the entire family.
Parents see a reduction in chauffeur services needed -- and for the new driver, it's freedom like they've never had.
But parents need to be careful about what kind of vehicle they send the kids out on the road driving in.
KDKA's John Shumway is here to explain.
Whether it's the available vehicles in the driveway or adding something to the fleet for them to drive, not all wheels are created equally.
As the young driver heads up the street and away from your watchful care, Brian Moody, the Executive Director of Kelley Blue Book, says that safety is always the most important thing.
He says that there are vehicles that an inexperienced driver should not be commanding.
"The first thing is large SUVs, SUV set higher off the ground, they can be harder to handle and that means they can also be easier to tip over," Moody said.
Moody also says to avoid old cars.
"Very old cars, so anything that doesn't have anti-lock brakes doesn't have airbags, that kind of thing," Moody said. "If you're an enthusiast or a collector, that's one thing, but you don't want to put your kid in that car to drive on the freeway every day."
And you don't want your new driver taking off with high horsepower wheels.
"It's not about the overall speed," Moody said. "Pretty much any car can go fast, but a high horsepower car can go fast very quickly, and that can be too much for a young or inexperienced driver."
Moody also says you shouldn't put a young or teen driver in something new.
"Remember, these kids are going to bang them up," Moody said. "They're learning, so there's gonna be a few mailboxes lost in the process and that's okay. That's why maybe they don't need a brand new Mercedes-Benz."
If you're picking up an experienced vehicle, think bright.
"Say yellow, white silver, that kind of thing," Moody said. "That can be better. It can also be that those vehicles are easier to see at night."
When Moody says to avoid older cars, it's more about the safety options that weren't standard on vehicles until the late 90's and even into the 2000's.
Moody says that crash ratings are something to consider, because you will get an idea of what your young driver might face if they're in a crash.