According to insurance industry experts 50% of all first year drivers will be involved in an accident, regardless of gender. That’s a 50/50 chance you’ll make an insurance claim, be without a vehicle for awhile, eventually pay higher premiums and take a lot of your time dealing with it all. Not to mention worrying about the safety of your teen driver.

American Garage has looked at this issue from the practical standpoint of being a parent of teen drivers, more than once. Ideas as your offspring head towards driving age.

1. Most states are changing their new driver’s law to limit the number of under 21 yr. old passengers, use of cell phones and earlier curfew times. It all helps.
2. Because of new car incentives, used car values have dropped.
3. Cars that are 10 yrs. old still have airbags, antilock brakes and many of the safety features of new cars (including your own).
4. It is more difficult to become an experienced driver today, as other drivers are less courteous and distracted as well with cell phones, NAV systems and the like.
5. Hostile driving conditions. Frequent occurrences of “road rage” are testament to these driving conditions.

It all makes for a very volatile driving environment and a much more challenging one for learning how to drive and teaching a new driver the realities of the American road.

We offer some ideas for buying a “teen car” or additional family transportation. Buying another vehicle may not seem like such a luxury or spoiled indulgence after reading through the points below.

It’s a whole different world out there today for teens. Here’s the benefits. 1) Teach your child a life long skill that will keep them more involved and focused on driving, than with iPods, cell phones, make-up or the radio. 2) Few kids learn today, simply because there are fewer sticks around and even less patience to do the instruction. The stick drivers have a sense of pride of mastering a skill few of their peers have accomplished. This is no small item for teenagers looking to bolster their self confidence at an awkward age.
3) Used stick cars (we’ll cover the suggested makes and models below) can be purchased at a discount as they are usually ruled out by ninety plus percent of used car shoppers.
4) Fewer kids knowing how to drive a stick means no one else will be driving your car in place of your teen. New drivers in an unfamiliar car, is not a good combination.