I am planning on giving a car for my teen as a gift. Should I be concerned about anything?

Other than getting your teen a policy with the right amount of protection, you should also have an excellent reason why you are giving this car as a gift to your teen.

Unfortunately, not all teenage drivers are safe on the road, because they immediately realize the feeling of freedom. With their own car, teenagers usually tend to be reckless with their driving, which usually results in serious accidents.

There come other problems when giving a car for your teen. Responsibilities come along and you should make sure that your teen knows how to handle them. When giving a car to your teen, make sure that you warn him about the check-ups, oil changes and maintenance responsibilities.

You should also consider the fact that drivers under the age of 21 get into serious accidents more than any other age group, so maybe it would be best to wait a little.

Ask yourself the following questions before giving a car for your teenager:

• Is he/she responsible enough to be driving already?

• Does your teen respect callback times and curfews?

• Has your teen established a good driving record?

• Wouldn’t it be better for your teenager to earn money for the car, rather than just having it? Wouldn’t that teach him/her more responsibility?

• Will your teen be mature enough when it comes to saying no to drinking, drugs, and overloading the car?

• Did you consider purchasing a new car (if giving an old one)? Did you know it is much safer for your teen to be driving a new car rather than an old one?

• How necessary is it for your teen to have a car? Does he/she desperately need it for transportation?

• Does your teen really need a car?

• Are you comfortable with making this decision?
  Is giving this car for your teen affordable?