NORFOLK, Va. — What car should your child drive?

It's one of the toughest decisions any parent faces, especially in this season when cars are given as graduation gifts.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. They key reason? Lack of experience behind the wheel, the institute found in a 2006 study.

This takes the choice far beyond simple teen preferences or whether Dad should pass his car on to his daughter and get the new one he's been eyeing.

Experts such as Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Consumer Reports recommend a passenger car as a teen's first vehicle, since these vehicles have predictable handling in emergency situations. Also, they advise, steer clear of SUVs and pickups, which are prone to roll over in emergency situations due to their higher center of gravity; and sports cars, since some teens will be too tempted to test their performance.

"They don't know how to control all that power," says Sgt. Larry Montgomery of the Virginia State Police in Virginia Beach.

Consumer Reports magazine suggests a vehicle with sufficient — but not overwhelming — engine power, with 0-60 mph time between 8 and 11 seconds.

In general, larger, heavier cars have proven safer than smaller, lighter ones in a crash. Montgomery admits that size matters when it comes to a crash. But larger vehicles may be more expensive to maintain and clumsy to maneuver. He also says that the larger heavier cars of the 1970s and 1980s, made with thicker steel and larger bumpers, don't offer safety features commonly found today.

Also, the magazine, state police and other safety advisors say look for vehicles with traction aids — such as anti-lock brakes, traction control and electronic stability control — which help inexperienced drivers safely handle panic situations. In addition, get as many airbags as possible. Side-impact airbags, crash tests have shown, improve a vehicle's safety. You'll find them mostly on vehicles produced within the last couple of years.

A hot trend among young drivers is window tinting, which Montgomery advises against. New drivers have difficulty judging distance and tinted windows exacerbates the problem while reducing the ability to see at night. He also advises buying a car with minimal distractions, such as fancy audio or navigation systems, since these are a key factor in teen driving accidents.

Finally, check the car's crash-test rating, available free online at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.org) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap). Consumer Reports magazine (www.consumerreports.com) also offers the information, but a subscription is required.

On IIHS tests, look for cars with "good" or "acceptable" ratings. On NHTSA tests, the best vehicles have four- or five-star ratings. But don't be surprised to find that most cars fare poorly in side crash tests without side-impact airbags.

(Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.)