How to Monitor and Control Your Teen’s Driving
Discuss your plans and concerns with your child. Explaining that car safety controls are for their benefit and your peace of mind can help soften the blow to their newfound sense of independence. Your teen should be aware of (and understand) any speed, lane change, and braking restrictions built into their vehicle. Next, be honest about the tracking tools you plan to use. What, exactly, will you be able to monitor? Finally, other restrictions should also be clear, like a driving curfew or a maximum distance from home.
Young Driver Safety Features from Car Manufacturers
Today, most vehicles have safety features that encourage safer driving habits. Most common are automatic warnings about everything from seatbelts and speed limits to lane changes and road conditions. Whether you let your teen drive the family car or buy them a new vehicle, make sure they understand its safety features. A few options to consider when selecting a vehicle include:
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
Adaptive Cruise Control systems use radar to help your teen driver keep pace with and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles on the road. If the sensors detect an imminent accident, the ACC will use the AEB system (see below) to slow or stop.
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
Before an imminent impact, the Automatic Emergency Braking system will sound an alarm, often accompanied by a vibration in the steering wheel. If your teen fails to use the brake quickly enough to prevent a collision, the AEB system will automatically apply the brakes.
Blind-Spot Detection
Blind spots can be difficult for inexperienced young drivers to negotiate. Blind-Spot Detection technology uses cameras (or lasers) to monitor difficult-to-see areas and sends alerts about cars in a blind spot before changing lanes.
Lane Keeping System (LKS)/Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
The same cameras and lasers mentioned above also detect when the car starts to drift out of its lane. Your teen driver will receive an alert from the Lane Keeping System and, depending on the vehicle, a slight corrective nudge to put the car back in its lane.
These features represent a general trend among major car manufacturers. They will differ slightly by brand, make, and model, so check with your dealership or other resources for complete details.
Vehicle Safety Apps for Parents of Teen Drivers
Apps provide the next layer of car safety controls that parents can use to protect their teenage drivers. Most young drivers won’t balk at their car’s built-in safety features (they may even enjoy them), but some may not be comfortable with you monitoring their driving habits. Whether you use tracking technology is up to you and your child. Here are a few popular platforms and apps to consider:
- TrueMotion — This free app monitors your family's driving habits and ranks them according to how safe (or unsafe) they are. It tracks behaviors like speeding, aggressive handling, and more. Drivers are encouraged to practice safer habits and compete for the best score.
- MamaBear — This comprehensive app tracks driving habits and reports safety concerns to parents. You can customize it to send alerts if your child goes above a certain speed or if they are a passenger in another car. It also has location settings that notify you when they arrive or leave specific addresses. MamaBear can even monitor phone use, text messages, and social media.
- Automatic — This app is a driving assistant that monitors driving habits and gives practical safety tips to improve driving. Other features include crash detection, location monitoring, and more.
- Life360 — Get a detailed weekly report of your teen's driving habits. You can customize the information to include phone usage while driving to hard braking, speeding, and sudden acceleration. It also sends crash alerts and has an emergency response system with roadside assistance.
Some car manufacturers offer similar driver monitoring and safety programs. Ford’s MyKey®, for example, allows you to configure one or more of your Ford keys to control your vehicle’s safety settings, even when you aren’t behind the wheel.
Practical Tips for Safer Teenage Driving
Built-in car safety controls and behavior tracking programs can help keep your teenage driver safe, but there is no substitute for your input and guidance as a parent. Your teen will make decisions every time they get behind the wheel, encourage them to practice safe driving habits.
Talk with your child about the dangers of distracted driving, the benefits of defensive driving courses, and the physical, emotional, and financial costs of a car crash. Expressing your confidence in their judgment while sharing your experience on the road can make a big difference.
Final Thoughts: Teen Driver Auto Insurance
According to the CDC, teens aged 16-19 are most at risk for a motor vehicle crash. Even with built-in car safety controls, safe driving habits, and monitoring apps, your teen may still be involved in an accident on the road. If a crash occurs, you should have the right auto insurance to protect your child and your vehicle.
For most parents, this means putting your dependent children (or those in college who cannot pay for their own) on your personal auto policy. Talk to your independent agent today about what coverage is right for your family, vehicles, and location.