Keeping Young Drivers in Your Family Safe

At age 16, we already learn how to control machines that can fly on the road at over 100kph (some much, much faster, even for day-to-day driving). Although our brains are still not fully matured, we drive alongside others in control of such machines. One small error in this symphony of speed and metal and lives are changed forever. It makes sense to want to monitor your young driver’s driving if you can. And the good news is, you have several options.

Young driver
Young driver

Mobile Apps

In one tragic story from 2014, a driver in her early 30s was singing along to “Happy,” and felt such a strong compulsion to update her Facebook feed while driving that she ended up dead. The article quotes Lt. Chris Weisner of the High Point Police Department in North Carolina as saying, “In a matter of seconds, a life was over just so she could notify some friends that she was happy.”

If someone who did not grow up with smartphones couldn’t resist the urge to text and post, how can your 18-year-old, who may hardly know life without a smartphone continually trying to get their attention? Mobile apps can offer a solution. However, you’ll find a variety of them out there.

For example, TrueMotion Family is a free app you can use on your Android or iOS phone. It offers several peace-of-mind options, like seeing where your young driver is and how they got there. The app also tells you if your teen is driving responsibly. However, it doesn’t block calls and text messages.

No cell phone use while driving
No cell phone use while driving

Lifesaver is another app that is either free or comes with premium features for $4.99. Unlike TrueMotion, though, it does block cellphone use during driving. It also sends parents notifications about their teen’s driving.

The downside to any phone-reliant technology is that the phone has to be with the driver and charged. In addition, GPS tracking on these apps can quickly drain a phone’s battery. So, when investigating driving apps, do your research before settling on a solution.

Telematics Devices

These are devices that plug in to your OBD port under your steering wheel. They’re more than just a GPS tracking device. They can track your car’s health, collect data during a crash, and more. Autobrain, for example, is one such device. It isn’t useful just for tracking the young driver in your family: every driver will benefit from it.

  • Locate your car in real time from your mobile device.
  • Know where your car was driven, when, and how.
  • If your car crashes, Autobrain’s emergency advisers will contact you immediately and call 911 if you don’t respond.
  • Access 24/7 roadside assistance for free four times a year.
  • Let fellow car poolers know you’re outside.

Because automakers began installing OBD ports in vehicles in 1997, you’ll be able to find a used car with one. However, these devices carry a cost. Autobrain, for example, costs about $10USD/month per vehicle. You can purchase the device at Amazon for just under $40 CAD.

Worried your young driver might just disconnect the device? You’ll get a text notification if that happens.

Statistics for Young Drivers Not Too Dire

We worry a lot about the young drivers in our family. If it’s of any consolation, they don’t make up the highest percentage of fatalities. According to Transport Canada, in 2017, 6.6% of fatalities in drivers and 9.6% in passengers occurred in the 15-19 age category. The numbers are 10.3% and 13.1% respectively for ages 20-24. They then jump to 18.9% for drivers but begin to drop to 12.8% for passengers ages 25-34.

Statistics don’t tell the whole story, of course. For example, 15-year-olds aren’t (or shouldn’t be) driving yet. However, I’m certain the parents of teens whose lives were drastically altered by a motor vehicle accident don’t see these statistics; they see the aftermath of an accident. And worse, they know how it could have been prevented.

For starters, by not texting. And there’s an app for that.

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