Driving With Danger
GPS Tracking of Teen Drivers
Teenagers are the most dangerous drivers. It is fact, not myth.
Teen driving statistics are frightening. About 5,000 people, age 15 to 20, die every year in traffic crashes in the United States. Another 300,000 are injured annually.
GPS tracking is a new way to reduce those statistics. If the increase in unit sales to parents is any indication, GPS tracking could be showing some real results.
Most people are familiar with GPS navigation devices. These are the small, dashboard-mounted gadgets with screens that show maps of where the driver is, and it gives directions to his or her destination.
GPS tracking devices are quite different. For one thing, they are not fixated on the future. GPS tracking systems, also known as vehicle tracking systems, are designed to calculate and record where the receiver is currently and where it has been, relative to satellites giving off signals in space. During any automobile trip, they accurately mark time, speed, direction, distance driven and the location of all stops, at regular intervals.
Another key difference between the two GPS-based systems is that vehicle tracking devices are intentionally inconspicuous. They are not meant to be visible on-board to interact with the teen driver.
In a teen driving application, the GPS tracking device helps parents keep a “distant eye” on their teen drivers, track them down in an instant, or review how and where their young inexperienced drivers have been traveling.
What Makes Teens Dangerous Drivers?
There are two main reasons teen drivers are likely to get involved in car accidents:
They are:
- Inexperienced at the new skill of driving.
- Tend to practice irresponsible behaviors.
Anyone watching a teen driving might notice that they lack care and forethought and sometimes fail to practice basic safety measures. Most teens drive cars while multi-tasking, that is, performing another activity at the same time: glancing at an iPod, talking to peers in the car, playing with the dashboard controls and eating and drinking. Many teen drivers exceed the speed limit and drive erratically, either to show off, or because they overestimate the amount of time and space they need to stop.
The most dangerous activity attempted while teen driving is text messaging. A YouTube video on teen texting while driving recently attracted an astounding number of viewers.
A Parent’s Responsibility
Parents have a responsibility to teach their teen drivers behaviors that are acceptable in adult society. Hazardous driving is a habit that must be “unlearned.” GPS tracking systems, in a real sense, are teaching tools. On an extreme level, GPS tracking systems could be considered life-savers.
Due to the fear that their teen driver will be involved in a car accident, parents have started installing GPS tracking systems in their vehicles. The GPS tracking device can be covertly hidden in the vehicle so the teen will not detect it; or the device can be fully explained to the young driver: it stays as a condition of independent driving privileges. It must be made clear that the driver should not misuse the device or disable the device while driving.
Monitoring could subside once the young driver displays responsible behavior.
Using GPS Tracking to Correct Bad Driving Habits
With a GPS tracking device installed in all household vehicles, it is very easy to monitor all driver activities. Vehicle tracking devices can either give the user position updates immediately (real-time tracking) or record driving activity for later reviewing (passive tracking).
LandAirSea System’s most popular vehicle tracking devices in these two categories are the “live” Victoria GPS Tracking System and the passive GPS Tracking Key, a data logger.
In both cases, parents will know exactly where the teen traveled. It’s just a matter of when that information becomes available to the parent.
Both GPS tracking types have their advantages.
- Passive vehicle tracking is not considered as intrusive on the privacy of the driver, so teens are more tolerant. The device has to be removed and downloaded upon the vehicle’s return. It’s smaller, more cost-effective than its counterpart and more portable.
- Real-time vehicle tracking gives immediate reports, but it’s more expensive, both by initial purchase, and in the long term. Live tracking, however does have two helpful features: Speed alerts and geo-fencing. Parents can be notified by email or text message if and when their teen driver exceeds a preset speed limit or crosses a virtual “safe zone” boundary.
Parents should tell their kids about the consequences of irresponsible and distracted driving. With GPS tracking technology, parents can feel safer about their teen drivers when they are away; and secure that they might have saved them from serious accidents.
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