Midsize & Large Vehicles Protect Teens Best

In the United States, feedback received from nationally recognized driver - passenger injury reports help determine an automobile's potential.

Experts say it's almost impossible to determine or even select a "safest" automobile.

Their research says too many conditions have to be considered and weighed to be accurate.

What you can do is make a few assumptions about a car's safety based on national automotive crash test results.

What those reports highlight is that Midsize and large passenger vehicles are generally safer in front end crashes than smaller models.

A teen's dream is to drive the "baddest", "coolest" car his or her parent will permit. It's rare to find a teen who doesn't think that way.

But the problem of high teen rate accidents and fatalities is not completely the fault of teens. Parents are also to blame.

Generally the approach with parents is to hand over to a new teen driver a car no one is driving anymore.

What I'm going to tell you about that way of thinking will surprise you. You may want to reconsider your thinking if your thoughts are along that line.

Like I sort of mentioned earlier, teens generally drive subcompact and compact cars.

Parents also let their teens drive small pick-up trucks and small sport utility vehicles.

The less-than-desirable safety record of these vehicles when driven by new teen drivers who are inexperience and have high risk driving habits are reasons for you to be alarmed.

What's the solution?

Parents should have their new teen drivers in mid-size to large motor vehicles. Not cool from your teen's point-of-view. But definitely safer based on national reports.

Experts recommend that you evaluate an automobile's safety performance by comparing models of like size and weight. But be careful, a teen driver's driving habits, lack-of-skill and inexperience can skew comparison results.

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