Tag Archive: gps vehicle tracking

Teen Driver Safety Devices

No matter what rules or boundaries a parent may set for their teen driver, once that teen is out of sight, the parent has to rely on trust and faith that the teen will obey those rules. However teens are teens and a multitude of outside influences can act on them to prevent their adherence to the rules. Fortunately, there are new technologies and driver safety devices available that can allow a parent to monitor their teen’s driving habits and whereabouts at all times.

Here are a few of the existing technologies that help give parents peace of mind:

Sprint’s Family Locator / Verizon’s Chaperone http://sfl.sprintpcs.com/finder-sprint-family/welcome.htm / http://products.verizonwireless.com/index.aspx?id=fnd_chaperone, additional charges to monthly plan

Teens always have their cell phone with them and, if the teen is using a Sprint or Verizon phone, there are extra services available that allow a parent to track their teen’s location via a phone or computer. This allows a parent to monitor whether or not the teen is where he or she said they would be.

The Determinator Ignition Interlock Devicehttp://www.stopdwi.com/, $1,595 + shipping and installation fees

This breathalyzer interlock system will prevent the car from starting if the teen’s Blood Alcohol Level is above the legal limit. While expensive, this device guarantees that a teen can never drive drunk and that peace of mind may be well worth the investment..

DriveCam: Teen Safe Driver Program packagehttp://www.drivecam.com/, $899 plus monthly fees/FREE if insurance is covered by American Family’s auto insurance

This in-car camera system records “risky driving behavior”and sends them to DriveCam for third-party assessment of a teen driver’s skills. The reports are then sent to parents, who can discuss the driving behavior with their teen. Cars insured with American Family’s auto insurance may sign up for the Teen Safe Driver Program, which offers the device/service for free. American Family also claims that footage taken from a car will not be used as evidence and belongs to the purchaser.

CarChip Prohttp://www.carchip.com/Products/8226.asp, $119

CarChipPro is essentially a black box which, once the information is downloaded, provides parents with a history of the teen’s driving. The system may also be set to turn into an alarm if certain speeds are reached or if the driver is braking too hard. Like DriveCam, it is a tool to help discuss a teen’s driving habits by allowing parents to show them the facts, and how to correct their driving behavior.

MyKeyhttp://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29172, only available for Ford models manufactured in 2010

First seen on the 2010 Ford Focus, the MyKey system is designed to help parents set certain limitations on their Ford vehicles for when their teens are driving. With the configurable key, this system is designed for parents who share their cars with teen drivers.

The key features are:

  • Speed Control, limiting the top speed of the Ford vehicle to 80 mph.
  • Volume control, which allows parents to set a maximum volume level for the car’s radio.
  • Beltminder, an alarm system that mutes the radio and plays a chime every 6 seconds, every minute or every 5 minutes when the seatbelt is unbuckled.
  • Fuel reminder: alerts the teen that they need to refuel, when fuel is low.

No matter how good these technologies are, they still aren’t as effective as firm rules and boundaries set up by parents who provide a good driving role model for their child. Studies have shown that teens, whose parents have set clear boundaries and follow up with enforcement, have a safer driving record than those teens whose parents don’t set firm rules or who provide a poor role model for safe driving. Parents who want to start such a dialogue with their teens should consider a parent-teen contract before their child begins to drive on their own.

Reducing teen crash rates

GPS Tracking Technology that Promotes Safe Teen Driving

GPS technology has existed for at least 30 years and over the last decade, we’ve seen a boom in consumer devices that utilize it. With faster satellite relays and increased accuracy it’s no wonder that there are more practical applications for everyday GPS use; for instance, teen driving safety

Most people think of in–vehicle GPS systems as simply a tool for helping a driver to get directions from point A to B however there are several GPS systems that are being marketed to parents for safer teen driving. All of these systems help parents or guardians keep track of the whereabouts of their teen driver via GPS location and only differ in the features they’ve included with each one.

Here’s a quick rundown on some of them:

Spark Nanohttp://www.brickhousesecurity.com/product/spark+nano+gps+tracking+device.do, $99 plus subscription fees

The Spark Nano is marketed as the smallest, most highly-sensitive GPS tracking device for tracking teen drivers. This battery operated, web enabled device allow parents or guardians to keep track of their teen in real time. It also keeps track of speed, so parents know how fast their teen driver was going. The additional feature in this one is a panic button, which when pressed sends out alerts to parents of their location and that they are in need of assistance.

mobileteen GPShttp://www.mobileteengps.com/, $299 plus monitoring plan

The mobileteen GPS system, when installed in a vehicle, allows a parent/guardian to keep track of how fast the car was moving, and how long the car has been in one location. Parents/guardians can login to their site to monitor real-time activities. It also allows parents/guardians to set a “ForceField” to alert them via text messaging or email when the car moves, useful when they are out of town, or when the teen is forbidden from driving. It also allows them to set approved/unapproved driving locations and to be alerted when a violation is committed. There is also a Repair/Response feature that helps locate teen drivers when they are having problems with the vehicle.

Safe Teen Driving Club’s Active GPS Systemhttps://www.safeteendrivingclub.org/prodpurchase_vt.php.

This system also acts as an anti-theft device for the vehicle and could help lower insurance rates. The Active GPS System only activates when the ignition is on. It tracks speed and location, and sends out automatic reports (set by the user). The parent or guardian may also check a web-based site to view the real-time coordinates of their teen driver on a map. This system has to be professionally-installed, and that may add to the total cost of the system.

Marcus Teen Tracking System
The Marcus Teen Tracking System provides real-time location information on your teen drivers and alerts parents or guardians if they go beyond a certain speed. It also allows the creation of unapproved driving zones and provides driving directions.

Additional Driver Safety Information on In-Vehicle Technology:
The Drawbacks Of In-Vehicle Technology