Parents Should Buy Teens Newer, Safer Cars
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dolgachov/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Parents buying their teenage children cars should open up their wallet and opt for a new car instead of a used one, researchers say.
A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and published in the journal Injury Prevention, looked at national data on drivers between the ages of 15 and 17 and drivers aged 35 to 50 who were killed in car accidents. The biggest difference, the study found, was the age of the cars.
An overwhelming majority — 82 percent — of the teenagers killed in crashes were driving vehicles that were more than six years old. Even more striking, 48 percent were driving vehicles 11 years old or older.
Those older cars, researchers say, were less likely to have safety features, such as electronic stability control and side air bags, which might have cut the rate of teens killed in crashes. In fact, researchers say, the rate of fatal crashes for teens is about three times that for adult drivers.
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