At least once a month, I hear about a Xavier student causing some horrible car accident. My first question for them is almost always, “are you okay?”, and their answer is often, “I am, but my car is not.” Two or three weeks later, I often see them with a much nicer and newer car than before, which has always irked me. Some people I know have caused two or three crashes in which they totaled their car, and each time they got a newer model of car. I know most of these kids need a car to get them to their numerous activities, but does it need to be nicer than the old one? I am not jealous, I am simply confused. Why do parents reward their children with a newer car if they caused a crash?

One of the primary excuses for this is they “want to keep their kid safer”. My response is simple, just because the car is newer doesn’t necessarily make it safer. It is true that many of the 2017-2018 car models have new features that make them safer, such as automated braking systems. However, most newer cars that are being purchased for students are not that new. The most common model of car I see students drive ranges from 2007-2008. According to IIHS.org, most cars between 2005-2013 have the same exact safety rating. In fact, some popular cars such as the Chevy Impala’s and Toyota Camry’s safety rating went down in certain areas. The only reason it changed in 2012-2013 is because companies didn’t take data on parts such as roof strength. So, upgrading your child’s car from a 2007 model to a 2012 model is not going to make much of a safety difference, besides increased insurance costs and a higher expense for the car.

My next point is that this car is most likely not going to be driven on a daily basis to a location hours away. Most of the time, this car is just a commuter for the ten minute drive to and from school every day. Kids don’t need a brand new model to get to and from school. I have a 1994 Toyota Camry with no air conditioning and it gets me to and from school just fine. My car may be a bit of an extreme example, but older models are cheaper, often have less expensive insurance, and they will still be able to take a student from point A to point B just fine.

Finally, driving is a learning experience full of decisions and consequences. What does it teach kids if they cause a crash and parents get them something better? If the student doesn’t cause the crash or they are paying for the car themselves, circumstances may be different. However, teenagers are often the culprits of these accidents and they don’t pay for their own vehicle. Don’t teach them that the world owes them something new every time they break what they have; the world doesn’t work that way.

I am not naive enough to say that a car isn’t a necessity for most high school students, because it is. It doesn’t have to be a shiny limousine though. If they caused a crash once, it is not crazy to think they might do it again. If a child breaks a glass on the table, you give them a plastic cup, not another glass. Don’t reward your child for making a major mistake. Stop buying newer models of cars for your kid if they crashed their old one.

Tim Globokar

Assistant Opinion Editor