Parents who teach their teen children safe driving habits in used cars in New Jersey are more likely to find that younger drivers are operating vehicles more safely.

Geico says that while new GPS-based monitoring devices can help keep track of errant youth motorists and detect potentially dangerous driving habits such as speeding and large acceleration changes, teaching them to be responsible at the start may be the most effective choice.

The company cites a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that found parents who took a hand-son approach in their children’s driving education had a larger influence on automotive safety.

“The more involved a parent is in the learning process, the less likely a teen is to be engaged in all the risky behaviors associated with the teen years,” says Geico assistant vice president Janice Minshall.

Those who are looking for a car that may keep younger drivers protected in case of an inadvertent mistake may want to consider a 2005 Honda Accord coupe, which earned four 5-star crash ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.