The Necessity of Safety Technologies for Teenage Drivers

Let's face it - most budgets don't allow for a teen's first car to be brand new, decked out with all the latest advanced safety technologies. As a result, parents often buy a new car and hand down the old Woody Wagon to their teens, or they hunt for used cars searching for an affordable gem in good shape that won't leave Junior sulking in his or her room for weeks. However, half of the features we suggest families look for in their teen's first car can be found in models as early as the 1990s.

Airbags: A Must-Have Feature

Airbags should be an obvious requirement when it comes to safety technologies, and at the very least, your teen's car should have both front and side curtain airbags. These protect your driver from head and torso injuries in a wide variety of accidents. It's essential to ensure that your child is safely protected while driving or riding as a passenger.

Anti-Lock Brakes: Quicker and More Effective than the Human Foot

Anti-lock brakes (ABS) facilitate shorter stopping distances and straight-line stops by preventing the wheels that still have traction from locking up and causing a vehicle to skid instead of stop. These systems are quicker and more effective than the human right foot, which can struggle to maintain grip on slippery roads or during high-speed maneuvers.

Traction Control: Maximizing Grip When Accelerating

Traction control maximizes grip when accelerating to ensure controlled straight-line acceleration. This is achieved by using ABS components to apply brake pressure to the drive wheel or wheels that are experiencing a loss of grip. By reducing wheel spin, stability control ensures that your child remains in control of the vehicle, even on slippery roads.

Stability Control: Reducing Rollover Crashes

Stability control utilizes ABS and other sensors in the vehicle to apply brake pressure to the appropriate wheels when steering through return if traction begins to weaken. This prevents rollover crashes by keeping the vehicle stable and upright. By using advanced safety technologies, you can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and ensure a safer driving experience.

Backup Cameras: A Standard Feature

Starting with the 2014 model year, all new vehicles sold in the US must include backup cameras as a standard feature. This adds a set of eyes in the rear to help prevent collisions with pedestrians and objects when the vehicle is in reverse. By providing a clear view of the area behind the vehicle, backup cameras can significantly reduce the risk of accidents.

Forward Collision Warning: A Life-Saving Feature

Forward collision warning (FCW) is nearly every new model's standard or optional feature. Using sensors in the front of the vehicle, this feature can be found as something as simple as an audible and visual warning to full automation of the brake application when a front collision is impending. By providing early warnings of potential collisions, FCW can significantly reduce the risk of accidents.

Blind Spot Monitoring: A Safety Net

A blind spot monitor uses radar sensors on the side and rear of a vehicle to notify drivers when another vehicle is coming up behind them in an adjacent lane that might not be immediately visible due to a small rear quarter window or thick C and D pillars. This feature provides an added layer of safety, ensuring that your child remains aware of their surroundings at all times.

Cross Traffic Alert: A Cautionary Feature

Cross traffic alert uses the same sensors as blind spot monitoring to monitor traffic crossing behind the vehicle when it is in reverse. This feature can range from simple audible alerts to full automated braking of a collision impending. By providing warnings and potentially taking action to prevent collisions, cross traffic alert can significantly reduce the risk of accidents.

Lane Departure Warning: A System for Keeping Drivers Safe

Lane departure warning (LDW) employs a front-mounted camera to monitor your child's vehicle position within their current lane relative to the center and side lane markings. Its engagement involves audible alerts when your child begins to drift out of their lane, preventing parallel collisions. By providing early warnings of potential lane departures, LDW can significantly reduce the risk of accidents.

Lane Keeping Assist: A System for Staying Within Lanes

Lane keeping assist uses a front-mounted camera to help your child remain within the boundaries of their current lane by utilizing ABS or the electronic steering system. This system complements LDW by actively keeping the vehicle within its lane, even when driving at high speeds or on uneven roads.

Three-Blink Lane Change Signal: A Feature for Safe Lane Changes

Many modern vehicles offer a three-blink lane change signal that allows drivers to notify others on the road that they are about to make a simple lane change without fully engaging their turn signal. This feature provides an added layer of safety, ensuring that your child can safely navigate through intersections and roundabouts.

Technological Assistants Are Not Substitutes for Responsible Driving

While technological assistants like those described above can significantly reduce the risk of accidents, it's essential to remember that they are never a substitute for responsible driving. Your child must always be aware of their surroundings, follow traffic laws, and exercise caution when driving or riding as a passenger.

By providing your child with advanced safety technologies and emphasizing the importance of responsible driving, you can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and ensure a safer driving experience.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enlet's face it most budgets don't allow for a teen's first car to be brand new decked out with all the latest advanced Safety Technologies many parents buy a new car and hand down the old Woody Wagon to their teens others hunt for used cars searching for an affordable gem in good shape that won't leave Junior sulking in his or her room for weeks luckily half the features we suggest families look for in their teens first car can be found in models as early as the 1990s here we'll go over those Technologies as well as the more advanced ones that have emerged in the first two decades of the 21st century and explain why it's imperative that any vehicle you put your most precious cargo in is appropriately equipped airbags this should be an obvious one but at the very least your teen's car should have both front and side curtain airbags these protect your driver from head and torso injuries in a wide variety of accidents anti-lock brakes facilitate shorter stopping distances and straight line stops by preventing the wheels that still have traction from locking up and causing a vehicle to Skid instead of stop these systems are quicker and more effective than the human right foot traction control maximizes grip when accelerating to ensure controlled straight line acceleration it achieves this by using ABS components to apply brake pressure to the drive wheel or wheels that are experiencing a loss of grip reducing wheel spin stability control utilizes abs and other sensors in the vehicle to apply brake pressure to the appropriate Wheels when steering through return if traction begins to weaken this prevents among other things rollover crashes backup cameras starting with the 2014 model year all new vehicles sold in the US must include this feature as standard as it adds a set of eyes in the rear to help prevent collisions with pedestrians and objects when the vehicle is in reverse forward Collision warning nearly every new model has some form of forward Collision warning available as standard or optional using sensors in the front of the vehicle this feature can be found as something as simple as an audible and visual warning to full automation of the brake application when a front Collision is impending a blind spot monitor uses radar sensors on the side and rear of a vehicle to notify drivers when a vehicle is coming up behind them in an adjacent Lane that might not be immediately visible to the driver due to a small rear quarter window or thick C and D pillars we're cross traffic alert using the same sensors and cameras as the blind spot monitor rear cross traffic alert monitors traffic Crossing behind your vehicle when you have it in reverse and can range from simple audible alerts to full automated braking of a collision is impending Lane departure warning employs a front mounted camera to monitor your vehicle's position within its current Lane relative to the center and Side Lane markings its engagement involves audible alerts when your car begins to drift out of its current Lane preventing parallel collisions Lane keeping assist like Lane departure warning Lane keeping assist uses a front pointed camera to help a driver remain within the boundaries of their current Lane this system complements Lane departure Warning by actively keeping the vehicle within the current Lane by utilizing ABS or the electronic steering system as an added bonus most cars nowadays offer a three blink Lane change signal that allows drivers to notify others on the road that a simple Lane change is about to occur without having to fully engage the turn signal there's more to cover on these features and why they are a necessity for first-time drivers but always remember that technological assist is never a substitute for alert and responsible drivinglet's face it most budgets don't allow for a teen's first car to be brand new decked out with all the latest advanced Safety Technologies many parents buy a new car and hand down the old Woody Wagon to their teens others hunt for used cars searching for an affordable gem in good shape that won't leave Junior sulking in his or her room for weeks luckily half the features we suggest families look for in their teens first car can be found in models as early as the 1990s here we'll go over those Technologies as well as the more advanced ones that have emerged in the first two decades of the 21st century and explain why it's imperative that any vehicle you put your most precious cargo in is appropriately equipped airbags this should be an obvious one but at the very least your teen's car should have both front and side curtain airbags these protect your driver from head and torso injuries in a wide variety of accidents anti-lock brakes facilitate shorter stopping distances and straight line stops by preventing the wheels that still have traction from locking up and causing a vehicle to Skid instead of stop these systems are quicker and more effective than the human right foot traction control maximizes grip when accelerating to ensure controlled straight line acceleration it achieves this by using ABS components to apply brake pressure to the drive wheel or wheels that are experiencing a loss of grip reducing wheel spin stability control utilizes abs and other sensors in the vehicle to apply brake pressure to the appropriate Wheels when steering through return if traction begins to weaken this prevents among other things rollover crashes backup cameras starting with the 2014 model year all new vehicles sold in the US must include this feature as standard as it adds a set of eyes in the rear to help prevent collisions with pedestrians and objects when the vehicle is in reverse forward Collision warning nearly every new model has some form of forward Collision warning available as standard or optional using sensors in the front of the vehicle this feature can be found as something as simple as an audible and visual warning to full automation of the brake application when a front Collision is impending a blind spot monitor uses radar sensors on the side and rear of a vehicle to notify drivers when a vehicle is coming up behind them in an adjacent Lane that might not be immediately visible to the driver due to a small rear quarter window or thick C and D pillars we're cross traffic alert using the same sensors and cameras as the blind spot monitor rear cross traffic alert monitors traffic Crossing behind your vehicle when you have it in reverse and can range from simple audible alerts to full automated braking of a collision is impending Lane departure warning employs a front mounted camera to monitor your vehicle's position within its current Lane relative to the center and Side Lane markings its engagement involves audible alerts when your car begins to drift out of its current Lane preventing parallel collisions Lane keeping assist like Lane departure warning Lane keeping assist uses a front pointed camera to help a driver remain within the boundaries of their current Lane this system complements Lane departure Warning by actively keeping the vehicle within the current Lane by utilizing ABS or the electronic steering system as an added bonus most cars nowadays offer a three blink Lane change signal that allows drivers to notify others on the road that a simple Lane change is about to occur without having to fully engage the turn signal there's more to cover on these features and why they are a necessity for first-time drivers but always remember that technological assist is never a substitute for alert and responsible driving\n"