Finding a Car for a Young Driver
For a young driver, finding a car can be a thrilling experience. When you've just qualified for your full driving licence, a car represents your first major step into independence. Along with that independence comes a significant responsibility for driving safely and meeting certain financial obligations. You will need to purchase car insurance for your vehicle, keep up auto loan repayments and start an emergency savings fund for repairs and maintenance.
Safest Cars for Young Drivers
Young drivers, especially newly qualified drivers, have the highest rate of accidents of any group of motorists in the UK. When you're first learning the rules of the road and honing your hazard perception skills, it's only natural that you'll make more mistakes. Driving a low powered, highly maneuverable car will help you to avoid accidents and build a clean driving record. When you shop for a new car, look for safety ratings from independent consumer protection agencies to find the models that are considered to be safest for young drivers.
In addition to being safe, low powered, low risk cars are generally less expensive to buy and to operate and are great cars to have when planning a family road trip. A small, fuel efficient car is less fuel hungry than a fast, high powered automobile. A car with a lower acceleration speed may be less exciting to drive, but if you're a young driver on a tight budget, you'll appreciate the cost savings of a fuel efficient car as well as its increased safety.
Buying a new car offers certain benefits to young drivers, such as advanced safety features and the latest security devices. When you buy a new automobile that's been fitted at the factory with the latest Thatcham approved security devices, such as a tracker, an immobiliser or a steering wheel lock, you can reduce your risk for theft and achieve lower premiums. However, there are many used models that are considered exceptionally safe for teen drivers because of their reduced size, maneuverability and low speed.
Cheapest Vehicles to Insure
Because saving money is generally a priority for young drivers, finding a car that's cheap to insure is a key factor in shopping for a vehicle. Insurance companies look closely at the type of vehicle that a young driver owns when they calculate rates. If you drive a low powered car with a 1 litre engine, you are more likely to achieve the cheapest rates for a driver in your age group. A sports car with a turbo engine may be you ultimate goal, but if you're keen on cutting the cost of insurance, an economy sports hatch is a better bet until you pass the age of 25.
If you are a student at university living in a city centre post code, look for a model that's both inexpensive and secure. Insurance companies consider your post code when they set the cost of your policy. If you live in a built-up area where auto theft and break-ins are common, buying a car with high performance locks, an alarm system and other insurer approved devices may help you to minimise the cost of insuring your automobile.
Until a driver passes the age of 25, finding affordable insurance may be more challenging than finding an affordable car. Because premiums for young drivers are so high, it pays to buy a vehicle that is classified in a low risk band when finding a car for a young driver. Cars are classified in groups from 1 to 50 based on their size, speed, repair costs and monetary value. The safest, most affordable car for a young driver is a vehicle close to the low end of the scale.