I understand your concerns. This vehicle is definitly not as heavy as other cars. In some respects it might not be as safe, such as in a side collision, getting hit from the side by a large vehicle at say 50 mph. Certainly a Crown Vic or a Subaru would be a better choice for a male teen to drive, agreed.
All that said, I respectfully disagree that the Elio is a dangerous vehicle. Not-as-safe as some other vehicles in certain situations, yes. But so is a motorcycle, so is a Can-Am, etc. The Elio isn't meant to be a vehicle that anyone can drive in any condition and survive any kind of crash. People get hurt all the time in normal-sized vehicles.
I hope we can agree to disagree, and continue to be friends on here. I have a teen-age daughter, and while girls don't usually take the risks that boys take, I wouldn't let my daughter drive an Elio on the interstate, just like I wouldn't let her drive a motorcycle on the interstate, until after she took a special safety class and had 1 yr experience driving it often. This is why certain states have a law that says people under 18 or under 21 must wear a helmet and those over 21 or 18 don't need a helment. Teens' judgement is not good, their brains are still developing, etc. We're probably agreeing somewhat on this. :-)