Sunbeam Tip #7: Choosing Safe Cars for Teens

Sunbeam Tip #7: Choosing Safe Cars for Teens

If your teenager has just gotten a driver’s license, it may be hard to imagine handing over the keys to your brand new car, but that may be the smartest vehicle to choose.

However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) say there is something worried parents can do to protect their teens — choose a safe vehicle.

  • Avoid vehicles that encourage reckless driving. Teen drivers not only lack experience, but may also lack maturity. As a result, speeding and reckless driving are common. When you are picking a vehicle for your teen, avoid sports cars or other vehicles with high performance features that could encourage speeding or other reckless driving.
  • Do not let your teen drive an unstable vehicle. Sport utility vehicles, especially the smaller ones, are inherently less stable than cars because of their higher centers of gravity. Abrupt steering maneuvers — the kind that can occur when teens are distracted or over-correcting a driver error — can be more likely to cause rollovers. A more stable car would, at worst, skid or spin out.
  • Pick a vehicle that offers good crash protection. Teenagers should drive vehicles that offer state-of-the-art protection in case they do crash.
  • Do not let your teen drive a small vehicle. Small vehicles offer much less protection in crashes than larger ones. However, this does not mean you should put your child in the largest vehicle you can find. Many mid- and full-size cars offer more than adequate crash protection. Check out the safety ratings for mid-size and larger cars.
  • Avoid older vehicles. Most of today’s cars are better designed for crash protection than cars of six to ten years ago. For example, a newer, mid-size car with airbags would be a better choice than an older, larger car without airbags. Before you make a final choice on the car your teenager will drive, consult the U.S. Department of Transportation or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Courtesy of Travelers.com
Source: Insurance Information Institute; http://www.iii.org/

Lessons Learned:

I don’t know about you, but I would have missed the mark by putting my kid in a older model, small vehicle.  Glad Travelers provided this info!

Sunbeam Tip #6: What you need to know about the repair process after an accident.

Sunbeam Tip #6: What you need to know about the repair process after an accident.

Getting in touch with your insurance provider’s claims department should be one of the first things you do after an accident, after taking care of your personal safety of course. Once you are safe and made the call, depending on the type of damage, your insurance claim professional may need to schedule a time to inspect your vehicle to determine what needs to be repaired or replaced and will send out a claims adjuster.  Stay on your toes!  They work for the insurance company, not you!  Their end goal is to satisfactorily take care of your claim at minimal cost.  Just remember this when they treat you like long lost high school buddies.

When your car is damaged in an accident, you have the option of going to a repair shop of your choice or one assigned to you by your insurance company, known as a direct repair shop.  If you don’t have a repair shop in mind, their recommendation may be a good one for you, but don’t be afraid to check out the repair shop on your own.  Ask questions, look at reviews and check with the Better Business Bureau.  There are good and bad shops out there and just because the shop is recommended, doesn’t necessarily mean the shop is head and shoulders above the rest.

It is not uncommon for additional damage to be found after the repairs have begun. The repair facility will make a list of the additional damage and contact the insurance provider to review it before repairing any damage not included in your estimate.  Your chosen repair facility and your claim professional will discuss the difference in estimates and work together to make sure quality repairs are performed on your vehicle.

It’s important to note that sometimes repair shops will use aftermarket parts (parts manufactured by third-party operators rather than by the maker of your car) to repair your car. Even if your insurance company employs the use of aftermarket parts, you may have the right to insist on original equipment manufacturer parts–check the laws of your state. However, some insurance companies will not pay you for the total cost of your repairs if you insist on parts manufactured by the original maker. The insurance company may also want to push you towards used parts. These are parts that can be purchased at an auto salvager from another damaged car.  These parts are likely OEM parts and are a good replacement if your car is damaged. If your choice is between good condition used parts from an salvager or non-OEM parts, choose the aftermarket parts. Especially when it comes to safety-related parts (e.g., airbags and tires) always insist that the repair shop replace the damaged parts with new parts no matter if they are OEM or not.

Lessons Learned:

  • The claims department works to limit how much is paid out on a claim and that is likely at your expense.  Proceed with caution.
  • “Things” can be repaired and replaced.  Keep that in mind when trying to get back whole after an accident.  Your health is far more important than stressing about your vehicle.