(713) 782-2886 | (800) 374-9227 ☰ ˟
Logo
Local (713) 782-2886 Toll Free (800) 374-9227
  • Home
  • Personal
    • Auto
    • Condo
    • Flood
    • Health
    • Homeowners
    • Life
    • Mexico Travel
    • Motorcycle
    • Renters
    • Texas SR-22
    • Texas RV
    • Texas Umbrella
    • Watercraft & Boat
  • Commercial
    • Builders Risk
    • Commercial Auto
    • Commercial Property
    • General Liability
    • Landlord Risk
    • Tenant Liability
    • Texas Auto Dealer
    • Texas Garage Liability
    • Texas Workers Compensation
    • Restaurant
  • Surety & Fidelity Bonds
    • Auto Dealer Bond
    • Auto Title Bond
    • Dishonesty Bond
    • Tax Bond
    • TABC Liquor Bond
    • License & Permit Bond
  • Service
    • Make a Payment
    • Policy Inquiry
    • Request Certificate of Insurance
  • Resources
    • HAR.com
    • HCAD.org
    • Bankrate.com
    • DMV.org
    • Texas.gov
    • Insurance Glossary
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Blog
  • About Us
    • Location Map
    • Privacy Policy
    • Refer a Friend
    • About Us
    • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
Home > Blog > Choosing a Safe Car for Your Teen
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014

Choosing a Safe Car for Your Teen

One of my offspring recently graduated from college, and the other is still in school: I’ve conducted a LOT of research into teen driving safety in the past decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that car accident risk is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group. In 2010 alone, nearly 282,000 teens wound up in emergency rooms after wrecks.

Some good news: The most important safety feature in a car — the driver — can be improved through education. For example, about half of teens in a 2011 study by the CDC said they rarely wear their seat belts — but that’s something that can be changed. And, the CDC has found that education is one way to increase seat belt use.

While reprogramming the organic software (a.k.a. “the young driver’s brain”) is difficult, selecting hardware (a.k.a. “a vehicle”) shouldn’t be. Rather than specific models, focus on how the vehicle is equipped.
ESC, ABS and Airbags

First, aspire to get a vehicle with Electronic Stability Control (generically called ESC, but described under various acronyms by different manufacturers). ESC is a computer system that can provide a magical butt-saving by helping to prevent the car from spinning out or plowing straight off the road. Imagine having a professional race driver take the wheel when things get shaky: That’s ESC.

ESC first appeared in the 1980s, and government regulations required that three-quarters of 2007 model-year cars (half of SUVs and pickups) and every 2012 model had ESC. Note: ESC is a wonderful invention, but, of course, safety systems don’t replace the need for safe driving practices. A car will still spin out in deep water if its tires are worn out or if the driver enters a 20 mph hairpin at 60 mph.

In addition to ESC, vehicles made in 2012 or later must also have an anti-lock braking system (ABS),  advanced head restraints and the latest crash structures. Many produced before 2012 had those features, as well. You might also want to check whether the car has side air bags, which are not required by the NHTSA.

If you can’t afford a vehicle made in 2012 or later, vehicles built no earlier than about 1999 also had several safety features. These include side-impact structure and dual front airbags, both of which were required on cars built in the late ‘90s.

While checking to see if the prospective vehicle has the latest safety features, you might also want to make sure it got top marks for crashworthiness from the U.S. government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Buy — and Maintain — a ‘Safety System’

Understand that you are buying a “safety system” for your teen — but it needs to undergo basic maintenance in order to do its job of keeping your teen safe. The vehicle’s tires are one main area to focus on when it comes to maximizing its safety features.

To keep the safety system at its peak, I check my teens’ tire pressure at least once a month. (A way to make high-quality tires perform like bargain-basement junk is to underinflate them.) I set the tire pressure to what the vehicle manufacturer recommended. (See the placard on the driver’s door jamb.) I also replaced the tires on my daughter’s car well before they wore to the legal minimum (either 2/32 inch or 1/32 inch in states that have a legal minimum requirement). I bought new tires for my daughter before the most shallow groove of the most-worn tire reached 4/32 of an inch. An easy way to measure: Insert a quarter, Washington’s head down, into the most shallow groove, if you can see the top of George’s wig, replace the tires. Now.

I also taught my kids how to fully utilize anti-lock brakes. A topic for another article, I’m sure that knowledge saved my vehicle’s life. And perhaps those of my children.

For more information about auto insurance quotes in Houston, give ABC Insurance a call at 713-782-2886.

(Source:Allstate.com)
Posted 12:30 PM

Tags: auto insurance quotes in houston, houston tx car insurance quotes
Share |


No Comments


Post a Comment
Required
Required (Not Displayed)
Required


All comments are moderated and stripped of HTML.

NOTICE: This blog and website are made available by the publisher for educational and informational purposes only. It is not be used as a substitute for competent insurance, legal, or tax advice from a licensed professional in your state. By using this blog site you understand that there is no broker client relationship between you and the blog and website publisher.
Blog Archive
  • 2019
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010

  • auto insurance(7)
  • auto insurance houston(6)
  • auto insurance quote(5)
  • texas homeowners insurance(5)
  • houston auto insurance(5)
  • texas auto insurance(4)
  • home insurance(4)
  • houston home insurance(4)
  • home insurance quote(4)
  • flood insurance(3)
  • houston insurance(3)
  • houston commercial auto insurance(3)
  • insurance(3)
  • homeowners insurance houston(3)
  • homeowners insurance quote(2)
  • house insurance(2)
  • free auto insurance quote(2)
  • commercial insurance(2)
  • homeowners insurance(2)
  • low cost auto insurance(2)
  • houston homeowners insurance(2)
  • commercial auto insurance(2)
  • texas flood insurance(2)
  • affordable home insurance houston(2)
  • sr22(2)
  • auto(2)
  • low cost home insurance(2)
  • texas home insurance(2)
  • home insurance houston(2)
  • houston car insurance(2)
  • truck insurance(2)
  • flood insurance quote(2)
  • houston texas commercial auto insurance(1)
  • houston sr22(1)
  • vehicle insurance quote(1)
  • term life insurance(1)
  • houston tx house insurance(1)
  • 18 wheeler insurance(1)
  • houston renters insurance(1)
  • texas commercial auto insurance.(1)
  • baytown boat insurance(1)
  • katy auto insurance quote(1)
  • texas flooding insurance(1)
  • commercial auto(1)
  • commercial auto insurance houston(1)
  • affordable auto insurance in houston(1)
  • houston cheap car insurance(1)
  • houston auto insurance discounts(1)
  • houston commercial property insurance(1)
  • tractor insurance(1)

View Mobile Version
Carrier
Carrier
Carrier
Carrier
Carrier
Carrier
Carrier
Home| Get A Quote| Customer Service| Blog| About Us| Contact
8811 Westheimer Ste 211 | Houston, Texas 77063
(Phone) 800-374-9227 | Local: (713) 782-2886 | (Fax) 713-785-2711

© 2010-2019 ABC Insurance Services Inc, All rights reserved.
Social Social Social
Logo

Powered by Insurance Website Builder