The safest cars for teens

Below are some features to include and avoid to maximize teen auto safety. We also provide a list of cars that meet those standards, and that have received the highest marks on various crash tests.

Safety features to include:

Side airbags that protect the head and chest: Different car makers take different approaches, says Mark Krawczyk, consumer information director for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation. "The trend is now more curtain airbags for the head and more door-mounted for the chest," he says.

You want a system of airbags that will protect the head and chest from the front and side in the event of a crash. In many cars, some airbags (especially the side curtain variety) are optional, so you may have to pay extra to get the safety you want. And don't confuse side airbags (which protect the chest) with side curtain airbags (which protect the head).

And it's a given that you want front driver and passenger airbags.

Electronic stability control: Different makers will call this feature different things. "The technology is designed to help drivers maintain control of vehicles during extreme steering maneuvers," says Krawczyk.

The feature "cuts single vehicle crashes by more than half in our studies," says Susan Ferguson, senior vice president of research for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Anti-lock brakes (ABS): These allow a driver to maintain control of the steering during hard or emergency braking situations, says Krawczyk.

And it's just as important to teach kids how to use anti-lock brakes. When you "hit the brakes hard, you will feel a pulsating vibration," says Krawczyk. That means it's working, and you keep your foot on the brake.

Size: You want some car between your kid and the rest of what's on the road. In 2003, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that large, four-door passenger cars had the lowest fatality rates.

"Small cars have about twice the fatality rate as larger cars for everyone," says Ferguson. "Generally speaking the larger the car, the better."

That's why many parents choose an SUV for their teens. But many experts feel that's a mistake because SUVs are more prone to roll over, and teens are more prone to one-car accidents that lead to rollover.

Drivers of ages 16 to 20 are more than twice as likely to be involved in a rollover in SUVs than an older driver, says Krawczyk.

In addition, Ferguson adds, "They can be a little more difficult to handle, particularly for young drivers, who are inexperienced and immature."

Easy to drive: You don't want to put a kid in "any car that requires some skills to drive," says Gabriel Shenhar, senior automobile test engineer for Consumer Reports. "You definitely want a safe, secure and forgiving car."

Seatbelts: All cars have them. Make sure your teen actually uses them.

Good crash performance: Most of the auto crash testing is done by two groups. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts crash tests on front- and side-impact accidents, as well as rollover risk. They give tested cars between one (worst) and five (best) stars. Look up cars at safercars.gov.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent nonprofit group funded by the auto insurance industry that also conducts crash tests. They examine front, side and rear impacts or any combination of those. Ratings are good, acceptable, marginal or poor. You can look up results for these tests at IIHS.org.

Features to avoid
When it comes to teen drivers, what a car lacks is also important.

"One thing I'd caution against is putting teens in cars that are high-powered," says Ferguson. "They will use that power and speeding is a factor in fatal crashes for teenagers."

(continued on next page)