Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teens. If you add drugs and alcohol, you can appreciate how frustrating it can be to all of the people affected by these deaths and try every day to prevent them.

The teen brain is developing and making final neurological connections that will encourage critical thinking and decision-making skills. In the meantime, one thing you can say for certain is that the teen brain loves material possessions especially the ones that get them noticed by their peers.

This is the reason you should let your teen buy their car. They are more likely to take care of it, make better decisions about who gets in it and less likely take unnecessary risks. Once you have this type of commodity, you can use this sense of pride in ownership to encourage your teen to drive safely.

1. Designated Driver. No matter how little they have had to drink instill in them a sense of conservative caution regarding drinking and driving.  Let them know they can always leave their car and call you or a cab for a ride when they are in doubt about their sobriety.

2. Tune-ups. Frequent tune-ups are cheaper than car repairs and they keep the car in good working order to prevent accidents due to mechanical malfunction.

3. Safety. This includes seat belts, text messaging and other media devices, eating, the activity level of friends or animals in the car all contribute to distraction and decrease the ability to drive safely.

So no pressure!  Your teen can do the research and find the car that is best for them. They can problem solve what they can afford and develop a life skill about what is bound to be their first major purchase. There is too much potential to learn here. Why stunt their development by doing something like buying them their first car?

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