Technology could help teens stay safe while driving
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, injuries from car crashes are by far the leading cause of death among people in the U.S. between the ages of 13 and 19.
April 26, 2013
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, injuries from car crashes are by far the leading cause of death among people in the U.S. between the ages of 13 and 19. In 2010, the last year for which statistics are available, a total of 3,115 teenagers died in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. The IIHS identifies driver immaturity and inexperience as the primary reasons why the car crash death rate among teenagers is so high. Immaturity leads to risky behaviors such as speeding, while inexperience makes it difficult for young drivers to identify potential hazards on the road and to adjust their driving accordingly.Drivecam and Geofencing
Fortunately, new technologies are being developed to help teenage drivers remain safe while they are behind the wheel. These technologies are designed to allow parents to monitor their children's driving behavior at all times, even when they are not in the car.
One new technology is a camera system called Drivecam. Parents mount Drivecam in their cars and the camera is activated automatically whenever a teen driver does something unsafe while behind the wheel. The video is monitored by technicians at Drivecam's data center, who send parents alerts and provide suggestions on how teens can improve their driving skills. The system costs approximately $900 annually, though some insurance companies may offer incentives or agree to pay the entire cost.
Another recently developed technology designed to help parents keep an eye on teen drivers is called Geofencing. Geofencing is a Global Positioning System based technology that tracks a car's location and provides information about other factors, such as speed. Parents can elect to receive alerts whenever their children drive outside of a certain set area or exceed a given speed.
Safety trumps privacy concerns
Of course, many teenage drivers find technologies such as Drivecam and Geofencing to be overly intrusive and evidence of a lack of parental trust. If parents are considering installing these sorts of devices in their cars, experts recommend that they explain to their children that the primary purpose of these systems is not to keep tabs on their whereabouts, but rather to help them improve their driving skills and hold them accountable for unsafe behaviors. The reality is that immature, inexperienced drivers can be a hazard to themselves and others on the road. The more information that young drivers have, the more likely they will be to avoid accidents and remain safe.
Article provided by Miner Martin & Hahn, PLC
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