(IIHS)
Turns out "stranger danger" may apply to cars as well as people.
A new report found that drivers are nearly twice as likely to get in an accident during the first six months they own a car, The Sunday Times reports.
The study conducted by insurance underwriter Accident Exchange discovered that while the newest cars make up just 2.9 percent of the vehicles on British roads, they account for 5 percent of accidents in the U.K.
“The results suggest that drivers may be unfamiliar with their cars during the first months of ownership as they get used to the responses from the brakes, throttle and steering,” said an Accident Exchange spokesman.
Distracting auxiliary controls may also play a role and, somewhat ironically, the spokesman adds that being overly cautious with your new pride and joy may lead you to drive differently than you normally would, and not for the better.