Unless you plan on being with your teenager each time he or she gets in the car, you will need to trust that your son or daughter will be a responsible driver. There are ways of making sure that is the case, thanks to modern technology.
Driving Apps
The push is on to find ways of making the roads safer through technology. EverDrive is an app that attempts to do that. It is simple to download to your teen’s smartphone. The app runs in the background, keeping track of the driver’s habits. Later you can download the diagnostics and see what your child’s driving habits are.
EverDrive records such things as phone use, excessive acceleration, speeding, braking suddenly. It also records the duration of trips and locations visited. It provides feedback that can make users better drivers. It may also be a positive application for teens, because it allows them to compare their driving habits with their friends’, causing good driving habits to become more like a game than a chore.
The Dangers of Using the Phone While Driving
There has been much talk regarding the increase of traffic accidents due to distracted driving. Most of that is caused by cell phone use – texting while driving, in many cases. Teenagers remain the highest group of people involved in auto accidents, including fatal accidents. They don’t necessarily realize the dangers of distracted driving. It only takes a split second of inattention to ram into the rear of another car, blast through a red light or hit a pedestrian crossing the street. Drifting into oncoming traffic is another problem with texting while driving.
Using Technology to Become a Better Driver
Apps like EverDrive monitor the driver’s habits and can possibly cause the person to make positive changes in their driving behaviors. “Smart driver” technology can help people improve their driving and their bank accounts. Some people have used the results of the technology to cash in on insurance discounts, as a result of their good driving.
You can’t be with your teenager every time she drives somewhere, however you can help her become a better driver by using one of the new driving apps to monitor her driving habits. Also, don’t assume talking about the consequences of texting while driving will fall on deaf ears. Share some of the statistics and stories with your teens. They will at least be inclined to think more about safe driving. If you say nothing at all about the problem, it will be easier for them to deny it is something that can affect them.
We take safe driving seriously at Frohlich, Gordon & Beason, P.A., law offices. Every day we help people with personal injury cases which could have been avoided. We have satisfied clients in Englewood, North Port, Port Charlotte, and the surrounding areas. Call us if you need help with a personal injury claim.