Abrupt steering maneuvers the kind that can occur when teens are fooling around or over-correcting a driver error can cause rollovers in these less stable vehicles. A more stable car would, at worst, skid or spin out. Even if your teenager drives a car with a sedate image, chances are still high that sooner or later he or she will be in a wreck. This is why it's also important to pick a vehicle that offers good crash protection. Don't let your teen drive a small vehicle.
Small vehicles offer much less protection in crashes than larger ones.
However, this doesn't mean you should put your child in the largest vehicle you can find. Check out the safety ratings for mid-size and larger cars. Most of today's cars are better designed for crash protection than cars of 6 to 10 years ago. So avoid older vehicles. For example, a newer mid-size car with airbags would be a better choice than an older, larger car without airbags.