What you want to know before acquiring a auto for your youngster

Are you hunting to acquire a vehicle for your son or daughter?

As a parent, maintaining expenses low and ensuring the vehicle is safe are the 2 crucial issues. But there does not have to be a trade-off amongst the 2.

I asked Crispin Moger (pictured), CEO at Marmalade, provider of vehicles and insurance for young drivers, what he thinks parents need to look for when acquiring their kid’s first car…

“When they’re starting out, young drivers and their parents usually begin looking for a used car, rather than a new model, because they believe that is the only inexpensive selection.

“But this is not often the case. The older the automobile, the higher the expenses of maintenance, tax and insurance. What’s a lot more, some young driver insurance coverage policies won’t really cover older cars, which tends to make life difficult if they’ve already bought the automobile.”

Security issues

Crispin continues: “Aside from these added charges, there is also the vital situation of safety. The straightforward truth is that newer vehicles tend to be much more robust, much better designed and equipped with a lot more and much better safety attributes.

“Research shows that young drivers are most at danger of becoming in an accident when they are inexperienced and haven’t accrued the road hours that help them to judge and react in a safe manner.

“That’s why a new car ought to be the preferred selection. An adult might have the experience and capability to drive an older auto without undue concern, but that possibly will not be the case for his or her child.”

What to look for in a new car

Crispin presented a couple of pointers on how to keep a lid on expenses when getting a auto that still ticks the boxes security-wise:

• Engine size The much more effective the engine, the a lot more risk of the young driver speeding and driving dangerously. That’s why we recommend a fairly modest maximum size of 1.4 for young drivers, and we won’t insure something bigger


• Optional extras You may possibly discover a very good deal for auto that has alloys, tinted windows and all the trimmings, but beware as these are all functions that drive up the price of insurance for young drivers


• Age of the car Not only are older vehicles less robust in crashes, but the newer the auto, the much more security characteristics it is most likely to have. Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) have been a common function of all new vehicles considering that 2004 and assist the driver to maintain manage of the car in an emergency. Extra functions such as electric windows and steering wheel audio handle adapters help to minimize distractions for drivers and enable them to stay focused on the road. The newest models also advantage from automatic emergency braking


• MoT It is also worth remembering that, if a car is new, it will not require an MoT for 3 years.


• Telematics Look for a car that will perform with a telematics-based insurance coverage policy as this might properly support to hold you child protected on the roads.

How can telematics help?

1 of the key improvements to the safety of young drivers in current years has been telematics.

Installing a black box in your child’s car to monitor driving functionality and qualities has numerous advantages, not least that it tends to make them think about their driving when behind the wheel.

Some policies also operate ‘curfews’, which keep young drivers off the road at times when there is a larger frequency of accidents.

And the key point is that very good, sensible and protected driving is ultimately rewarded with reduced premiums, even though bad, reckless and unsafe driving is deterred by the threat of larger premiums.

Data protection

Crispin added: “As nicely as encouraging your child to drive safely, telematics can also aid if there is an accident.

“If it wasn’t your child’s fault, the information in the black box may possibly help to prove their case. And if the vehicle is stolen, you will be in a position to preserve track of the car so that it can be recovered.”

What you want to know before acquiring a auto for your youngster