Are We Irresponsible to Let Teenagers Drive Vehicles With Fewer Safety Features? [POLL]

My wife Kelly is proud of her son who worked all summer to buy a little Mazda truck he can drive now that he's got his license. But she asks herself how can she drive around town in a vehicle loaded with safety features (which she bought to protect her family) and then let her son drive around without experience in a little Mazda with no airbags or reinforced doors?

Encouraging kids to save up for their own car is an American tradition. It's part of growing up. Of course the cars and trucks are going to be old because that's what teenagers afford. How many of you, like me, see an old crappy car worth a few hundred bucks and think, "Perfect for a teenager"?

But think about that for a minute. You've spent so much money and effort to give your kids the safest car seats and bike helmets. You've taught them about Stranger Danger. You likely bought a car with air bags and steel reinforcement to keep them safe.

Now you're sending them out on the road with ZERO experience in a car with nearly zero safety features. Does this American tradition make sense?