As I was thinking about my 15-year-old son getting his license, some of the first things that came to mind were the friends he might have in the car with him. I was not only concerned about his safety and his freedom, but I was also worried about how his having a license would affect other people.
This worry is balanced a little bit by the fact that I did not have to be his only means of getting around, since there is only one parent to take him to school or anywhere else that he needs to go. In fact, I remember being relieved when he could drive himself to school or to get something from a store. However, as I started reading the statistics about teenage drivers, I admit I became a little worried about several things to include passengers and the kind of car he would be driving.
Teenagers usually drive differently when they are with a parent than they would if they were with friends. In fact, organizations such as the Insurance Information Institute strongly suggest that you not get a car that has a “performance” image because this tends to encourage faster and more reckless driving. The best way to go is with a car that has an average appearance and looks like it was made for driving to the store or across town, but is not meant for speed, nor to impress friends.
Sometimes, it is hard to make these decisions when you are not an expert about cars but a few things can help. For instance, I found that the car dealership where I do most of my business was a good place to ask questions and express my concerns about the kind of car my son would drive. Although one of the salesmen said that he thought my first choice for my son’s car was a little old-fashioned, he did not show me anything that looked like it was meant for racing.
Instead, he found something in the middle, kind of an average car that I was comfortable with buying. My son even thought it was OK. This may be something to think about if you are the one who is making the decision to pay for a car.