Parents are constantly wondering what a good first car for their teenage driver might be. Michael Smith, a research psychologist with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says “The heavier the vehicle the better. This is a physics lesson: When two things run into each other, the heaviest wins.”
David Cavano, a manager of auto purchasing services for the Automobile Club of Southern California says “Get into a small, two-door car and pull up next to a sport-utility vehicle. The bumpers just don’t match. The higher you sit on the freeway, the more the chassis and frame are going to absorb the impact.”
“Kids think they’re indestructible, so parents have to do it for them,” he adds. “Parents ought to be trying to protect the lives of their kids.”
For these reasons a pickup truck is a good first choice. Not only does it sit high and have some weight behind it, but there is only room for one other person. Sure they use a little more gas but that might help deter unnecessary driving.



Photo courtesy of Mark Hagen/Clinton Herald