Driving a car for the first time presents all types of challenges. That's why new drivers, especially younger ones between the ages of 25 and 34, typically account for the most car collisions, the most fatal car collisions, and the second-highest percentage of distracted drivers.
Because new drivers, both young and old, are at such high risk, buying a vehicle with as much safety as your budget allows is a wise investment. With so many new safety technologies introduced over the past five years, you will likely still get some of these items even if you buy a used car.
Here are the five features to look for if you have new drivers at home.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
While safety innovations like anti-lock brakes and electronic traction and stability controls have been available for decades, more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have become popular.
ADAS use cameras and sensors to detect potential collisions and alert the driver accordingly. Most new vehicles come with a slew of standard ADAS features that make driving feel safer for new drivers getting behind the wheel. According to researchers, ADAS-equipped vehicles showed a 27 per cent reduction in bodily injury claim frequency and a 19 per cent reduction in property damage frequency.
Although some of these technologies come as a la carte options, most automakers now package and brand these systems as suites, like Hyundai's SmartSense or Toyota's Safety Sense, to name just two, and come as standard equipment on many of today’s new models.
ADAS features can include:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Automatic emergency braking (front, rear, or both)
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Cross-traffic alert
- Forward- and rear collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Pedestrian/cyclist detection
- Road sign recognition
- Junction turning assist
- Safe exit assist
Parking Assistants
To many new drivers, parking a vehicle can be as nerve-wracking as driving at high speeds on a crowded highway. Thankfully, a parking assist system can help wedge your car into tight spots without incident, providing an additional layer of safety and peace of mind beyond the typical rearview cameras now standard in modern vehicles.
For example, Chevrolet's Rear Park Assist features ultrasonic sensors that alert drivers if they detect vehicles or objects within 2.5 metres behind them. When in reverse or "parking mode," the system is limited to speeds under 8 km/h and alerts drivers to possible hazards. Parking sensors will help new drivers avoid fender-benders, but try to ensure a car has both front and rear sensors available. Some vehicles even offer side parking sensors.
Some of these assistants will act like a personal valet and park your car. Ford's Active Park Assist 2.0 can back into a tight parking spot or perform tricky parallel parking moves. Drivers only need to hold down a button, and the car steers, shifts, brakes, and accelerates independently.
New Driver Apps
Many safe driving apps for new drivers have various features to track average and top driving speeds.
Ford's MyKey can be pre-programmed when a new driver is behind the wheel. You can select whether a safety belt reminder is turned on, the low fuel or low battery charge warning to activate earlier, and the ADAS features not to be turned off.
GM’s Teen Driver Mode allows parents to set speed limits, limit how loud the stereo can be played, and send teens alerts if they’re driving too fast. This system also logs potentially concerning events like wide-open throttle applications, if the car is following too closely or tailgating, if the automatic emergency braking was triggered, or even if the traction control was activated.
There are also third-party new driver apps that can report the car's location; it can be handy for parents when their teens are out, and you can look at your phone to see where they are. Many apps automatically lock the driver's smartphone when the car is in motion to prevent distracted driving.
A Manual Transmission
While most new drivers prefer the convenience of driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission, there are many advantages to starting your driving career with a car that forces you to use a clutch pedal and shift your own gears.
The biggest advantage is that it requires more focus and attention to drive stick, as well as the use of both hands (one for the steering wheel and another to shift gears), which is another way to help ensure your new driver isn’t picking up their phone while driving. A manual transmission can also be seen as a theft deterrent device.
New drivers who use a manual transmission will also better understand what the car needs regarding driver input, whether downshifting for a long, steep hill or choosing the right gear to deal with slippery or snowy roads. Although it may be more challenging at first, compared to learning with a car with an automatic transmission, mastering a manual gearbox makes for a better driver in the long run.
Driver Drowsiness Detection Systems
Research has shown that 24 hours of sleep deprivation causes the same level of impairment as someone whose blood alcohol level is over the legal limit. This is why a driver drowsiness detection system can greatly benefit new drivers who may not understand their endurance limits behind the wheel.
As part of a vehicle's ADAS, a driver drowsiness detection system can range from warning drivers if there's something in their blind spot to automatic emergency braking. One example is Volvo's Driver Alert. It functions via a camera that detects the edge markings on the road and compares the road's alignment with the driver's steering wheel movements. Suppose the new driver's driving behaviour becomes inconsistent. In that case, they are alerted by this symbol in the driver display, an audible sound, and a display message "Time for a break Driver Alert." The feature works at speeds above 65 km/h and remains active if the speed is over 60 km/h. The warning is repeated after a time if driving behaviour has not improved.
