Keeping teens safe on the road

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Keeping teens safe on the road

We do not have teenagers – yet! I know that when my kids first start driving, that I want to know where they are at all times. As my kids get older, I find myself wanting to protect them from the dangers of the world even more.

Since I am known for locking my keys in the car (at least once a week), I had a Viper SmartStart system installed to allow me to unlock my car directly from my cellphone. Instead of calling my buddy (who I have gotten to know well from AAA) every time I get caught looking at my keys through the glass car window – I can unlock the car directly from my iPhone.

Getting the Viper SmartStart installed

After having the new system installed in my car, I learned that it is the perfect system for parents to monitor their new teen drivers. Parents can locate their child’s car with a satellite signal that is sent directly to the parents iPhone. (Boy I am glad my parents did not have this when I was a teen – right?)

The iPhone app can tell the user how fast the car is going, what direction the car is heading and more. Parents can even disable the car using the app! When the installer was telling me about these features he had a great perspective on it, “It keeps everyone honest.” His teens know that it is installed on their car, so they know that lying to their parents about their location will just not work. His teens know that if they attempt to drive recklessly on the road, that they will be caught. They know that even if mom or dad are not riding in the car with them, they are still there supervising them.

As we approach a holiday weekend, keeping teens safe on the road is vital. According to the NHTSA car crashes for youth ages 16-20 is the #1 leading causes of death. Being actively involved and supervising your driving teenager, with tools like the Viper SmartStart, parents can lower this risk for their children.