Teenage kids have the whole world to explore. They need to go to school, coaching classes, friend’s place, shopping, movies and jobs. Travelling by bus is always not an option. Moreover, teenage kids are vulnerable to assaults and thefts that make a personal vehicle quite a necessity. Gifting them a car is better option than gifting them a bike. The cars are safer and more comfortable then bikes. Most of the time, teens insist for a bike but being a parent you should be firm on cars. Once you have decided to buy a car for your teenage kid, then you should know some tips to enhance the safety as well as the worth of your purchase. Here are few tips that you may follow for buying the first car for your teen.
1. Make them learn first
The first and foremost step is to admit your kid to a driving school. Cars are quite bulky piece of machinery that needs tremendous amount of care and skill. Most of the teenage kids lacks the safety term in their vocabulary. You surely do not want your kid to drive on some pedestrians. The driving school makes them learn the basics of driving until they are perfect to handle the pressure of road driving. It will ensure the safety of your kid.
2. Let them earn their driving license
In most of the third world countries, driving license are easy to procure. You just pay the agent a requisite sum of money as bribe and you get your license in few days. However, this should not be made a practice for your teenage kids. They should earn their license by passing the driving tests. If they fail the driving tests then you should make them redo the entire procedure until they earn their license. Earning a driving license is actually a breather for you that your kid knows the driving and road safety rules.
3. Safe not fast
Once your kid has learned the driving, then you should proceed with the car buying. The foremost criteria should be to buy a safer car rather than some fast wheels. Most of the teenage kids are rampant when it comes to speed. Being a parent, you need to ensure their safety. Buy a car that has limited pickup and top speed. Lower acceleration rate will not let them reach their top speed sooner.
You need to check whether the car is coming with an air bag for safety. The hood of the car should be long to resist the frontal impact. Front engine cars are best buys as in case of accidents the engine withstands most of the shock and impact. Moreover, the distant separation of oil tank and engine makes it safer. You need to make sure the car has good crash safety ratings to ensure further safety.
4. Mint car condition
You need to inspect the engine for its condition. You can ask your neighborhood car technician to check the engines. The engine should have a good mileage. However, the main point of concern should be its ignition. You need to make sure that engine will start in all weather conditions. You surely do not want your kid to be stranded in a lonely road on a cold wintery night.
5. Tips for second hand car
If you are thinking to buy a second hand car, then you should buy a car with limited speed and no previous major accidents. A car withstanding any major accident has heavy repair works that might cause the problem for the cold startup of the engine. Also, make sure the car looks good. Take your kid to choose the car. Spend some bucks to repaint it or make your kids to repaint it according to their likings. Most of the second hand cars are hardy piece of machinery that is good for road safety. They also have limited speed and acceleration. However, the most important fact is its cheapness. Most of the second hand cars cost way below the price of two wheelers.
6. Install some new fittings
There are some safety features that you can install yourself. ABS system prevents skidding of cars while braking. You can fit airbags, as earlier cars do not have provisions for airbags. You need to install the daytime running lights to ensure their car’s visibility even in fogs. If you stay in area with high probability of rain or snow then fit rain tires during those time. Keep a spare tire as precaution in case of tire-flats.
7. Test drives
The final step is to let your teen kid test drive the vehicle. This step is to ensure that they are comfortable driving the vehicle. They should find the accelerator, brakes and gears easily. It will also ensure that they have good frontal visibility. Then you should drive it yourself to get a better understanding of the car.
