When a teenager becomes old enough to drive, they often want a vehicle of their own that can be an extension of themselves. You’d be hard pressed to find a better way to make your vehicle reflect who you are and what you’re about than by building a custom lifted vehicle. While aesthetics and off-road capabilities might be at the forefront of the teen’s mind, safety, handling and driver responsibility are likely what their parents are thinking about.
After all, this person just learned how to drive, so are lifted trucks safe for teen drivers? Today we’re going to dive into some of the pros and cons and what parents should consider before getting their teen driver a lifted truck, or letting them get one themselves.
The Pros: Why Lifted Trucks Can Be Safe for Teens
Is a lifted truck ever going to be the safest option for a teen driver? Certainly not. But just because it’s not the safest option, doesn’t mean it’s not safe at all. There are actually a few advantages of a lifted truck that might help you consider them to be safe for teens. This is, of course, assuming that the lifted truck in question has been properly built and that your teen will be driving it responsibly.
- Increased Visibility
- Being able to see your surroundings and what’s down the road in front of you is certainly important for any driver, especially new teenage drivers. The fact that lifted trucks sit higher than standard vehicles means that they allow drivers to see further ahead in traffic and perhaps spot hazards earlier than in lower-sitting cars. This could help your teen driver make safer driving decisions.
- Durable Build & Protection
- While not always the case, typically the more you customize your vehicle the more durable and protected it comes. From reinforced suspension components to rugged frames and body armor to bigger tires, all of these things help to provide extra crash protection in the event of minor collisions.
- Off-Road Capability & Weather Performance
- The inherent off-road capabilities that often come with a custom lifted truck means that they’re also more ready to tackle harsh winters, muddy roads or other rugged terrain even without taking it off road — especially if outfitted with mud- or even all-terrain tires. Better traction and ground clearance go hand in hand with off-roading, but they also allow safer navigation and regular challenging conditions.
The Cons: Safety Risks Parents Should Consider
While there are certainly some safety advantages that come with a lifted truck, there are definitely some risks as well that you have to take into consideration when dealing with a teen driver. As mentioned, these drivers have just learned how to drive, presumably on a more traditional vehicle, but lifted trucks change a ton of things about the way driving feels and needs to be done. It’s important to keep that in mind!
- Higher Center of Gravity & Rollover Risk
- One of the most immediately noticeable changes that comes with lifting a truck is the higher center of gravity it has. Raising the center of gravity makes the vehicle more susceptible to rollovers, especially when making sharp turns or emergency maneuvers, and your teen driver might not be equipped with the skills necessary to handle these altered driving dynamics.
- Changes in Braking & Steering Response
- Similarly, you’ll quickly notice changes in both braking distances and steering response after you make suspension modifications and install larger tires. It will require more effort to stop the vehicle effectively and on time, and you’ll have similar issues when turning. This is especially true in wet or icy conditions.
- Distracted or Overconfident Driving Risks
- The aforementioned advantages can also lead to overconfidence in inexperienced drivers, as well as adding even more distractions for them. It might give your teen driver the confidence to try things like excessive speed or off-road driving beyond their skill level, which can have dire consequences.
We pride ourselves on building the right custom vehicle for any given situation, so if you or your teen are set on getting a lifted truck we can make sure that you get a build that’s going to be as safe as possible for all involved. Give us a call with any questions or to start the build process, we look forward to meeting you.
