Tips for Buying Your Teen's First Car

Make sure you're setting them up for safety right from the start.

1. Choose the Right Car

Let's face it, if you left the decision up to your teen, you would probably end up with either a huge SUV or a suped up sports car, neither of which is particularly safe for a young, new driver. However, there are plenty of options out there to make both you and your teen happy. And with the right research, you can find a car that is not only fun to drive, but also safe and reliable, too.

Choosing a midsize car is the best way to go, according to The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety and the Insurance Information Institute. Depending on your budget, you can opt for either a new or used model - just make sure the car is in good condition with updated safety features like airbags and electronic stability control. Also, you'll want to check out crash test and safety ratings before making your final purchase.

Fuel efficiency is another important factor to consider, especially in today's economy. Unless you're willing to cover the cost of filling your son or daughter's tank each week, buying your teen a gas guzzler is probably not a good idea.

2. Get the Best Auto Insurance Rate

The truth is that no matter what car you choose, insuring your teen driver will increase your auto insurance rates. But there are some things that you can do to make these costs as manageable as possible. In fact, another great reason to opt for safety first at the car dealership is that it can help keep your auto insurance premiums down. Because safer cars tend to have a lower accident risk, they are usually less expensive to insure.

Another way to get the best auto insurance rates possible is to scope out potential discounts. If your teen is a full-time student, for instance, he or she may be eligible for a good student discount. Researching your options beforehand will help you to make an informed decision when trying to find the right car for your teen.

3. Set Boundaries

Choosing a good car and purchasing the right auto insurance are only the first steps in keeping your teen safe on the road. Talking with your teen about safe driving and setting clear rules and guidelines are also important. To ensure that your teen stays safe behind the wheel, you can:

• Limit the number of passengers your teen can have in his or her car at any one time;
• Establish a "no cell phone" policy to ensure that your teen does not text or call while driving;
• Discuss what to do in cases of emergency, including accidents and adverse weather conditions.

Source:  Allstate Insurance

4 Futuristic Automotive Features Available Today

In 2015, we have become accustomed to being surrounded by gadgets that would have seemed a fantasy 50 years ago. From inter-connecting smart phones to fully functioning robotics, we are at the precipice of a technological revolution. For many of us drivers, however, we are firmly rooted in the last generation, driving around in cars that haven't changed much in many years, apart from some new bells and whistles. However, automotive technologies are being developed that will radicalize how we drive and experience driving. Here are 5 that are guaranteed to impress any motor heads.

Augmented Reality Dashboards

At one point, GPS technology would have seemed a million miles away from a trusty atlas or road map, but today we are closer to ever to having a full navigation system built into the windscreen. This will be displayed through different types of glasses that will display different information to the driver in real time. This will display not only directional advice, but will display the speedometer, parking sensors, rev counter, fuel gauge and other aspects of the cars computer. Through touch screen controls, drivers will be able to control every facet of their vehicle from the screen, including air conditioning, radio, windows and headlights. Perhaps the most futuristic is the ability to zoom in on parts of the road so drivers can see obstacles up ahead more clearly. If put into place, this could help improve drivability but also keep drivers and there passengers safer.

Solar Roadways

Solar powered LED roadways have the potential to change the world in a way that many other technologies could only dream of. Designed to not only illuminate our roads and display dynamic traffic information, but actually charge electric cars wirelessly whilst they drive. This would revolutionize how we fuel our cars and completely transform the automotive economy. This would make electric cars a true alternative to petrol and diesel powered cars, and lead towards us improving our carbon emissions by an inexplicable amount. Imagine never having to refuel your car manually while driving around on illuminated LED roads! There are even plans to make the panels heated that will melt any snow or ice that has accumulated on the LED panels, which will then be filter to a water treatment center to use within the water supply. However, there are some questions about how economically feasible these plans are and how the roads will be constructed and maintained. However, the city of Sandport, US, is going to become the first city to have the panels by installing them within a parking lot.

Fully Autonomous Cars

This has been speculated for a long time but, in 2015, they are finally testing fully autonomous cars on public roads. A recent report suggested that by 2035, nearly 75 per cent of vehicles sold will have automatic driving capability. Google have actually been planning to make it a reality within 5 years, so we could have driverless cars sooner than we think. Whilst we have had components such as self-parking cars, completely driverless cars would revolutionize how we navigate our roads and motorways. However, there have been some initial problems; for instance, Google's attempt at a driverless car cannot tell the difference between a rock and a piece of litter that has drifted into the road and subsequently attempts to drive round both of them in the same way. Also, there are some moral questions about how much it will actually improve road safety and whether people will actually want to put their life in the hands of a computer program. Nevertheless, envisioning a future where we are essentially driven around by robots definitely seems like something out of science fiction.

External Airbags

Many of us have been involved in some form of accident on the roads, sometimes costing a lot of money in repairs. However, this could be all change if external side airbags are fitted on cars. Side crashes currently account for around 40 percent of all traffic accidents and we could now see a dramatic reduction in the damage these crashes cause. The airbags are designed to deploy in 20 - 30 milliseconds and protect the vehicle from the impact. This is being developed alongside cameras that will detect the moment the airbag needs to be triggered. When completed, this design could bring about a massive transformation in road safety.