IIHS - Safe Vehicles for Teens

IIHS LogoI spoke with a father once about his teen's vehicle. I had inspected it at roadside and because of various defects I had issued it a Notice & Order #2. The father was trying to convince me to withdraw the order because he knew that the vehicle would not pass inspection and it would be too expensive to repair.

Why are we OK with giving a new driver a vehicle that we would not choose to drive on the road ourselves? Yes, vehicles that are in good shape can be expensive, but giving a teen a vehicle that is not roadworthy is an invitation to trouble.

The IIHS has just published a list of vehicles that it considers appropriate to give to a new driver to use. It's divided into three categories, Best Choices - Used, Good Choices - Used and Recommended New Vehicles.

Prices range from a low of $6,400 to $39,500 USD and reasons for the choice in each category are explained.

A quick look at current used car prices in BC might indicate that some of the suggested vehicles can be found for the same price in Canadian dollars.