So, your teen’s ready to hit the road (of course, whether you’re ready for them to be ready is another question altogether). Helping them stay safe on the road is probably at the top of your mind — and we’re here to help out by covering the best car safety features for teens.
Blind-Spot Monitors & Lane-Keep Assist: The Best Car Safety Features for Teens
Plenty of newer vehicles come equipped with a variety of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) designed to help keep drivers of any age safe — but they can be particularly useful for teens. Blind-spot monitors and lane-keep assist systems can notify drivers when another vehicle is in their blind spot, or prevent them from unsafely switching lanes while driving, making them some of the best car safety features for teens.
In the U.S., around 800,000 blind spot accidents occur each year, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For new drivers, constantly monitoring blind spots can take some getting used to, making blind spot monitors a valuable tool — especially if your teen’s driving a car with a large blind spot.
This is also a good opportunity to discuss passive and active ADAS. Some vehicles have passive ADAS, meaning that the vehicle will alert the driver, but not take action for them. With active ADAS, the vehicle forces a response if the driver fails to act quickly. For example, a passive lane-keep assist system may alert the driver that switching lanes could be unsafe, but allow them to do so anyways. In contrast, an active lane-keep assist system may forcibly turn the wheel or apply the brakes if the car detects that the driver is about to do something dangerous.
It’s good for your teen to make a habit of monitoring their blind spot and safely changing lanes without ADAS, of course — no driver should be dependent on these systems — but giving them one that does will go a long way towards helping them stay safe on the road.
Rear-View Cameras, Collision Warning & Brake Assist
Continuing down the ADAS route, let’s discuss rear-view cameras, collision warning, and brake assist systems.
Rear-view cameras allow drivers to see what’s behind them without relying on a rear-view mirror, while collision warning and brake assist systems can couple to warn drivers of — and automatically hit the breaks to prevent — collisions.
Like other ADAS, you want to make sure your teen doesn’t become dependent on these systems to drive. However, they can help a young driver get the hang of handling their vehicle more safely. They can also work wonders for teaching teens some of the finer points of driving, such as how to safely parallel park a car.
According to a study by CBS News, roughly 20% of accidents happen in parking lots. Cameras and collision avoidance systems can help drivers avoid those collisions, making them great tools for any teen driver.
How to Buy a Safe Car for Your Teen: A Quick Summary
We take a lot of the best car safety features for teens – like airbags and electronic stability control – for granted. But not all cars come equipped with those features — airbags only became a mandatory safety feature in 1999, and electronic stability control has only been standard since 2012.
In other words, if you want a safe car for your teen to drive, an oldie probably isn’t it. Here are some other things you should be aware of when selecting a car for your teen:
- The faster the car, the more potential for danger. Plenty of teens will want a car that can go 0-60 faster than you can wave goodbye, but something lower-horsepower and with slower acceleration may be safer. If you are planning on giving your child something with a lot of get-up, make sure they understand how dangerous that power can be.
- Bigger may actually be better. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), bigger, heavier vehicles typically provide more crash protection than a smaller, lighter car.
- Do plenty of research beforehand. For example, anything that requires a lot of maintenance or has an open recall probably isn’t a great choice for a young driver.
This article originally appeared on Carvana.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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21 Electric Cars That Could Earn You a $7,500 Tax Credit
On August 16th, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. The $750 billion health care, tax, and climate bill aims to curb the highest inflation rate in 40 years (inflation increased to 9.1% in June 2022). The bill also included new federal tax credits for consumers who buy electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles. Earlier this year, the Treasury Department updated the EV tax credit rules, significantly limiting what cars could qualify for a 2024 EV tax credit.
Just want list of cars that qualify for a 2024 EV tax credit? Here you go.
ADragan / iStock
Firstly, it’s important to clarify what a federal tax credit does. A federal tax credit does not necessarily put money in your pocket – instead, it reduces the amount you pay on your federal taxes.
For example, let’s say you expect to pay $13,000 in federal taxes in 2022. If you qualify for a federal tax credit of $5,000, you would instead pay $8,000 in federal taxes.
While the net result is still more money in the bank, it’s coming from paying less federal taxes – not necessarily cutting a check from Uncle Sam.
BernardaSv
The Inflation Reduction Act makes quite a few changes to previously existing federal tax credit rules that you should know about. Some of the most important changes include:
- Restricting EV and hybrid federal tax credits to North American-made vehicles, eliminating many vehicles that previously qualified for a federal tax credit.
- Putting new price thresholds on eligible vehicles. To qualify, Sedans, hatchbacks, wagons, and other smaller cars must be $55,000 or less. Pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans are cut off at $80,000.
- Removing a 200,000 vehicle sales cap on tax credits starting in 2023. In other words, the new tax credit extends to eligible vehicles even if more than 200,000 are sold (starting in 2023).
- Offering a new tax credit of up to $4,000 on used EVs after December 31st, 2022.
- Restricting the full tax credit on new EVs to vehicles with battery minerals either sourced from countries the U.S. has a free trade agreement with or that are recycled in North America. In other words, cars with batteries sourced from ineligible countries may still be eligible for a federal tax credit, but not the full $7,500.
- Learn more about tax refunds for used cars here.
Depositphotos
These sweeping changes stand to impact many drivers. Although parts of the bill won’t go into effect until 2023, the effective date for many restrictions is August 16th, 2022 – the day it was passed into law.
The government is still working to finalize all makes and models that are (or are not) eligible for the Inflation Reduction Act 2024 EV tax credit. If you have your eye on a new EV or hybrid that currently qualifies, buying it now may be wise in case it becomes ineligible later down the line.
(Learn more about 2022’s best-selling hybrid cars.)
gpointstudio / istockphoto
After the Treasury Department’s updated manufacturing rules, which featured new, stricter supply chain rules for EV battery components, here are the cars that qualify for a 2024 EV tax credit. (Learn more about 2023’s most popular used cars.)
Some of these makes and models are also constructed outside North America, making them ineligible. To see if the car you want is eligible, search the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) VIN Decoder. The VIN Decoder will let you know if final assembly occurred in the U.S. (making the car eligible) or elsewhere (making it ineligible). Find the NHTSA VIN Decorder Here.
Before the 2024 updates, these were the vehicles that could have been eligible for a federal tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act:
Khosrork / iStock
Model Year: 2023
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
GM photos
Model Year: 2024
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP LimitChevrolet Bolt
ViktorCap/istockphoto
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $55,000 MSRP Limit
felixmizioznikov / istockphoto
Model Year: 2024
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Wikimedia Commons / Bull-Doser
Model Year: 2024
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Chevrolet
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Chrysler
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $3,750 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Ford.com
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $3,750 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
BalkansCat / istockphoto
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
ClassicCars.com
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $3,750 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Ford Motor Company
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $3,750 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Ford.com
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $3,750 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
VictorHuang/ istockphoto
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $3,750 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Jeep.com
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Jeep.com
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
khairil77 /Deposit Photos
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $3,750 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Lincoln Corsair
Model Year: 2022-23
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $55,000 MSRP Limit
DepositPhotos.com
Model Year: 2022
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $55,000 MSRP Limit
Tesla
Model Year: 2022
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Tesla
Model Year: 2022
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Tesla
Model Year: 2022
Additional Information: $7,500 Credit, $80,000 MSRP Limit
Tesla
According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), buyers who entered a contract to purchase a previously qualified vehicle before August 16th can still claim a federal tax credit under the previous EV rules. This applies even if they could not possess the car until after August 16th (due to construction delays or delivery times).
To take advantage of the new 2024 EV tax credit on cars purchased between August 16th, 2022, and December 31st, 2022, the final assembly must have occurred in the U.S. Otherwise, the rules in effect prior to the Inflation Reduction Act will apply.
In the long run, the Inflation Reduction Act EV tax credit stands to increase the number of EVs made in North America and give buyers of used and new EVs a significant financial incentive to purchase an electric or hybrid car. We hope this piece has clarified the ins and outs of the Act. Stay tuned for more car news, tips, and tricks in the near future!
This article originally appeared on Carvana.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Published: September 2, 2022. Updated September 8, 2023.
Disclaimer: We hope you found this post helpful! Nothing in this post constitutes professional, tax or financial advice. Please conduct your own research before transacting and consider talking to a qualified professional about your unique circumstances.
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vichie81/ istockphoto
Featured Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
