Parents never stop worrying about their children’s safety, especially when they become licensed to drive on their own. By the time the average sixteen-year-old driver gets behind the wheel, they have spent roughly a third of their life holding a smartphone. At that point, it can be hard to put it down.
Surveys show that teens spend roughly nine hours a day on their phones. The chances are good that you have talked to your teen about distracted driving, but do you trust them, or the friends they might be driving with? The good news is, technology has matured to the point where it can promote safety.
Teen driving features that could save lives
Newer models of vehicles today have built-in teen driving features that monitor, and sometimes control, a moving car.
- Speed control
- Audio volume control
- GPS tracking
- Seat belt usage
Some vehicles and apps even send parents a report card summarizing key driving stats, average following distance, instances of emergency braking, etc. One app, Life360’s Driver Protect Plan is getting accolades for being one of the market. The app tracks and reports the following:
- Braking force
- Rate of acceleration
- Instances of speeding
- Cellphone use
Additionally, this app provides collision notification with an exact GPS location to both the emergency contacts as well as emergency services.
It seems that we may very well be coming out of the dark ages of technology, where consequences were ignored, and convenience was the priority. With the use of some of this new technology, we might just be able to put our distractions away and focus on safety.
