Listed: Safer Cars For Teenagers

LOS ANGELES--When considering buying a car for teenagers this holiday season, Farmers Insurance Group recommends two things: Buy the safest car possible and make your teen the safest driver he or she can be.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which crash-tests dozens of vehicles each year, advises parents to choose a midsize vehicle with lots of safety features such as air bags and antilock brakes.

The Institute recommends that parents not buy sport utility vehicles, especially the smaller models which are less stable because of their high center of gravity and are more prone to a rollover. The Institute also advises against compact cars, which don’t offer the same safety and crash protection features as larger models.

“A young driver just shouldn’t have a sports car,” says Mike Maione, a Farmers Insurance agent in Highland Park, Ill. “That’s too much power, and encourages speeding and speed kills. A midsize is probably best. A used car is fine, because then you may only need liability coverage instead of liability and physical damage, which would keep the insurance costs down.”

Safety experts recommend choosing the newest model your budget can afford, as well, since most of today’s cars are better designed for crash protection than vehicles six to 10 years old. A newer midsize car with air bags, for example, would be a better choice than an older, larger car without air bags.

Parents should not forget to stress the basics, however; teen drivers, more than any other group, tend not to buckle up.

However, safety goes beyond basic crash protection. Having a dependable car that will get your child home safely is just as important.

The biggest dilemma for parents who want to buy a car for their young driver may be deciding which model to select.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which has crash-tested hundreds of cars and light trucks, has given the following vehicles its highest crash-test rating. They could be considered safer for new drivers.

LARGE FAMILY CARS

• Chevrolet Lumina

(1995-2000 models)

• Buick LeSabre and Pontiac Bonneville

(2000 models)

• Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable

(1992-99 models)

MIDSIZE

•Volkswagen Passat

(1998-2000 models)

• Volvo 850/S70

(1995-2000 models)

• Toyota Camry

(1997-2000 models)

• Subaru Legacy

(2000 models)

SMALL CARS

• Volkswagen Beetle

(1998-2000 models)

For a full listing of crash-test results, see the IIHS Web site at www.highwaysafety.org or write to 1005 N. Glebe Rd. Suite 800, Arlington, Va. 22201. The institute also recommends that parents consider the following points when shopping for a vehicle:

Avoid vehicles with a performance image. Sports cars and other high-performance vehicles may pave the way to speeding, a leading cause of wrecks among beginning drivers.

Avoid unstable vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles--especially the smaller models. Because of their high centers of gravity, these SUVs may be more likely to roll over during abrupt steering maneuvers.

Don’t select a small car. While less expensive, smaller vehicles offer less crash protection than midsize or large passenger cars.

Choose a newer vehicle, if possible. The newer the vehicle, the more likely it is to have air bags and other safety devices.

Before making a final choice on the vehicle your teenager will drive, though, take advantage of the wealth of consumer information on car safety available from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.