Tips and Tools to Guide and Monitor Your Teen Driver
In this article, you will find:
Technology for Safer Teen Driving
Once you've had a conversation with your teen, you'll want to monitor driving behavior to make sure the rules and guidelines you've discussed are being followed. Technology can be a useful ally in this endeavor.
Choose a Car with Monitoring Systems: If you're shopping for a car, purchase one with technology that will help you monitor your teen driver. For example, the current Chevrolet Malibu is equipped with a Teen Driver feature designed to foster safe driving techniques for teens when a parent isn't in the car. This system mutes the radio until front occupants are buckled, and provides a speed warning when the driver exceeds a certain speed. After each trip, it generates a report card parents can use to help educate their teens. The Malibu is also equipped with the latest active safety technology, such as forward collision alert and lane departure warning. Brands such as Ford and Hyundai have their own versions of the Teen Driver feature, available in models such as the Ford Focus and Hyundai Sonata.
Use a Tracking Device: If your current car doesn't have a Teen Driver feature, a tracking device can help you to keep tabs on your teen's speed and location. This GPS-enabled device is inserted into the vehicle's diagnostic port, and will contact you via email or text alert if a set speed is exceeded. Three popular models are Mastrack, MobiCoPilot and Motosafety, priced from $80 to $150 with a monthly subscription cost that ranges from $9 to $20. In evaluations conducted by Consumer Reports, all three devices performed as promised.
Purchase an App: Texting or talking on the phone while driving is a huge problem for teens. Several apps are available to help prevent your teen from using a phone while driving by limiting a phone's functionality when it's inside a moving car. ATT's Drive Mode, Verizon's Safely Go, and Sprint's Drive First turn off text message alerts and send automatic replies to text messages when used in a moving vehicle. Consumer Reports tested all three apps, and they delivered satisfactory performances.
Utilize an Onboard Camera: With this approach, a camera is positioned just beneath the car's rearview mirror. It films your teen driver and uses flashing lights to indicate when the driver has executed a risky maneuver. Parents can review the recording with their teen, and use it as a teaching tool. One example of an onboard camera is the Lytx DriveCam. In one case study conducted with the help of U.S. Foods, the DriveCam reduced risky driving behaviors by 70 percent.