One of the most frequent questions that comes up both at my shops and in my personal life is for parents to ask what kind of vehicle they should get for their young adult when they become driving age.

Most parents have the same thing in mind, “hand me down” vehicles. “As soon as my kid turns sixteen, I’m going to give them my old car and I’m going to get a new one”. Another very common story is the father is going to get there kid a vehicle they wanted or had as a kid. I’m going to get him an old Volkswagen Bug, they are really cool, or that old BMW 2002. Great old cars.

There is a very serious thinking flaw happening here. When children reach driving age, they have very little experience behind the wheel. Sometimes they have an attitude of being indestructible added to little driving experience. Nationally teen driving accidents are one the leading causes of death.

The newer a vehicle is, the more safety equipment they have.

Cars with anti-lock brakes (ABS) or stability control will even help control the vehicle so an accident doesn’t even happen. The newer ABS brakes work better than ever, pumping the brakes faster than ever, stability controls that keep the vehicle out of slides and roll over’s. Duel stage front air bags, side air bags, air curtains, knee air bags and engineered crumple zones all help occupants survive an accident if one happens. Side air curtains help keep people in the vehicle in a roll over. New vehicles handle more precisely and have a better dependability then older vehicles.

It only makes sense to have your child in a newer, safer vehicle when it comes time for them to be driving. I know that cost is always a factor but a newer car is money well spent. As a matter of fact, newer vehicles are safer for everyone, even parents.

I always recommend checking with the magazine, Consumer Report for more advice when buying a vehicle.