With 83 percent of surveyed parents saying they purchased second-hand vehicles for their teens, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety looked back, instead of ahead, and released a list of the safest car used cars.
The leading cause of death among teenagers has been automobile accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the IIHS survey of 500 parents revealed to it that rookie drivers were often operating vehicles that lacked now-standard safety features.
The used vehicles on the IIHS' list all come standard with electronic safety control and they earned the institute's highest grades in the crash test categories of moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. The IIHS list of the safest used cars was halved by price, with one half composed of the best second-hand cars between $10,000 and $20,000 and the other listing cars below $10,000.
The 2012 Toyota Prius V, and later, Saab 9-5 sedan 2010, and later, were two of the top large and midsize cars in the $10,000 to $20,000 bracket. The Honda CR-V 2012, and later, and Toyota Highlander 2008, and later, were two of the top small and midsize SUVs in the bracket.
The 2005 Acura RL, and later, and 2006 Mazda 6, and later, were two of the safest large and midsize cars listed in the under $10,000 bracket. The 2008 Nissan Rogue, and later, and 2007 Mazda CX-9, and later, were among the small and midsize SUVs listed in the IIHS' under $10,000 bracket.
The CDC reported that 2,700 teens, between the ages of 16 and 19, were killed in automobile crashes in 2010 and roughly 282,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries related to crashes.
While the IIHS' list can guide buyers to the safest second-hand vehicles available, the institute has offered teh following recommendation to help parents scrutinize prospective automobile for their children:
*Young drivers should stay away from high horsepower. Vehicles with more powerful engines can tempt them to test the limits.
*Bigger, heavier vehicles protect better in a crash. There are no minicars or small cars on the recommended list. Small SUVs are included because their weight is similar to that of a midsize car.
*ESC is a must. This feature, which helps a driver maintain control of the vehicle on curves and slippery roads, reduces risk on a level comparable to safety belts.
*Vehicles should have the best safety ratings possible. At a minimum, that means good ratings in the IIHS moderate overlap front test, acceptable ratings in the IIHS side crash test and four or five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
