Freedom and Responsibility: A Word for New Drivers

So you’re ready to get your license? You’re probably excited to hit the open road and have the freedom of driving alone. This is an exciting thing, but as much as you may want to scoff at what mom and dad have to say about safe driving, the fact of the matter is that they are right; one wrong move, one moment of distraction, and everything could change. Now, of course, we’re just a Shelbyville used Chevy dealer; we’re not trying to be your mom or dad. However, we do want you to be safe, and because of that, we want to make you aware of the best cars for new drivers. We believe that Chevy’s technology will help to make your brand new driving experience both exciting and safe.

Chevy has a whole technology package titled Teen Driver Technology. This package comes with a number of features that parents a generation ago only dreamed of, but the true benefit is not for your parents; it’s for you! None of this is meant to hinder your freedom but is all meant to keep you safe and help you build good driving habits early. Let’s walk you through some of the technology features of Teen Driver.

Buckle to Drive

Chevy is host to the industry-first safety feature Buckle to Drive. With this feature, if you try to shift out of park without your seatbelt buckled, the car will alert you to buckle your seatbelt and will prevent you from shifting gears for 20 seconds. It may sound annoying but remember – seat belts don’t just save lives: seat belts will save your life. It’s quick and easy to just buckle up right when you get in the car, and this system just helps you build that habit from the start. A sub-feature of the Buckle to Drive feature is the seat belt audio mute feature, which mutes all vehicle audio until both the driver and front passenger have buckled their seatbelts. The car won’t keep you from jamming, but it will keep you from jamming in danger.

Registered Key

When you and your parents set up Chevy’s Teen Driver technology, you will do so through the touch screen on the infotainment system, and you will register a key. This will then become your specific car key because upon starting the car with this key, the Teen Driver Technology will spring into action. If someone uses a non-programmed key, then they will be able to drive without the system on.

Audio Limit

That’s right, your parents can and will set an audio limit to make sure that none of your music is distracting you. This is not meant to be a damper on the fun (I mean, hey, they could make the limit zero), but it is meant to keep you alert and aware of your surroundings. If the car is bouncing with the bass, you won’t be able to hear what’s going on outside of the vehicle, and therefore won’t be able to act in a critical moment, which could save your life, or just save you from having something on your vehicle break that you could have prevented if you heard it making a noise.

Speed Limiter

If the speed limit sign doesn’t mean much to you right now, it sure will once your parents access the speed limiter feature, which sets the maximum speed of the car to 85 MPH. Don’t worry, though; 85 MPH gives you plenty of room to cruise (safely, of course), and if you want to go faster than that, then you should probably not be in the driver’s seat…no offense. Aside from saving your life, this will also make your life a little more convenient because a few speeding tickets can easily add up to a lot of wasted money, so you might as well save that for better things and drive more safely while you’re saving money.

Speed Warning

Now, even if your parents choose not to access the speed limiter, they may still choose to activate the speed warning feature, which will give you visual and audible warnings when you are driving over their preselected speed. You’ll actually come to appreciate this feature because if you tend to do a fair amount of transitioning between the freeway and side roads, it is oftentimes easy to maintain a freeway speed on a side road shortly after exiting the freeway, which increases your chances of being pulled over, getting a ticket, or causing an accident.

The Big Takeaway

As you’re a teen reading this, you may feel like all of these features serve to take away your freedom. That’s not true. These features help provide you with the freedom to learn to be an effective driver, which will not only protect you and potentially save your life but will also help you to become excellent at the skill of driving. It is always better to be excellent at a skill through disciplined practice than it is to be mediocre at something.

It is a very exciting thing to get your license and begin having the adventures that come with the ability to drive, but driving always comes with a risk. While we wish it wasn’t so, the unfortunate truth is that the stories you hear about in driver’s ed and on the news are not fake; they are real, and the next story could be about you. But it doesn’t have to be, and it won’t be if you are diligent about safety. Teen Driver Technology will help you to be diligent and to form good habits so that as you grow and no longer require Teen Driver Technology (though, let’s face it, everybody would drive better with such features), you will have the habits to keep yourself and others safe.

But What About the Car?

Alright, now that we’ve covered the Teen Driver features, I’m sure you’re wondering what car you should buy. Oh, there are so many options; where do you even begin? Well, we have selected one car which stands out to us as the best car for new drivers, and we can’t wait to tell you about it.

Chevy Trailblazer

The Chevy Trailblazer is our pick for the best car for a new driver. The 2021 Trailblazer is the perfect size for new drivers because it is big enough that they will be able to feel present on the road while also being small enough for easy handling. Not to mention, this SUV is priced low, and you can get it for even lower when you buy used. Aside from being affordable, this small SUV has a compact appearance but a strong build and large stance, excellent safety features, stylish color schemes, and exciting off-road capabilities. Equipped with all-wheel drive and Chevy Safety Assist, the Trailblazer is designed for a safe driving experience, even without the use of Teen Driver Technology.

If you have a little more money to spend and are interested in amping up the Trailblazer, you can do so by selecting one of the three higher trims with the LT, ACTIV, and RS. Whether you’re a new driver looking to get used to driving bigger vehicles and work your way up to a truck or just looking for a car with a little more size for safety reasons, the Trailblazer is an affordable yet excellent vehicle that will serve you well in all respects.

Hit the Road

Getting your license is a big deal, and it is an exciting time to experience a new level of freedom. But, as the late Elanor Roosevelt once said, “with freedom comes responsibility.” Freedom is not doing whatever you want; true freedom is choosing to act well. If you don’t exercise your responsibility along with your freedom, chances are you will lose that freedom in one way or another, and we do not want that. So, we hope that you will embrace these safety features and allow them to lead you into the freedom of safe driving practices, which will allow you to be a more effective and sustainable driver. If you have any questions about the Teen Driver technology, feel free to come on in and ask us! We can’t wait to see you on the road!