3 On Your Side: Safest Cars For Teen Drivers
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The first car for many teenagers is a used car, but older cars often don't come equipped with modern safety features.
Now, a national safety organization has compiled a list of cars that are reasonable in price and reliable in safety. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan has the details.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. In fact, Anne McCartt, of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an insurance industry financed research group says, "Many teenagers are driving vehicles that aren't the safest."
So, the Insurance Institute crash-tested dozens of used cars to find out how safe they are.
The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is one of 95 vehicles recommended for teenage drivers, in part, because it has electronic stability control. According to McCartt, "The vehicle teenagers drive should have electronic stability control."
In fact, that feature has prompted the Insurance Institute to include more vehicle types in its recommendations. McCartt says, "We used to steer parents away from SUV's because they had a tendency to roll over, but with the advent of electronic stability control, that tendency has really been reduced."
Other recommended vehicles for teenager drivers:
The Volvo S80: model years 2007 and later
Mid-size cars: Dodge Avenger model years 2011 and later
Small SUV's: Hyundai Tucson model years 2010 and later
Mid-size SUV's: Honda Pilot model years 2006 and later
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has put together a comprehensive list of used vehicles they recommend for teens drivers divided by model and price, from $4,000 on up.
To see the entire list, click here.
