Divorce Law and You

The risk of a teenager aged 16 to 19 being in a car accident is higher than any other age group. There are many factors that account for this, including inexperience and wanting to show off for their friends. As the parent of a teenage driver, you want to do everything in your control to prevent them from being in an automobile accident. An accident can injure or kill your teenager, or expose you to potential lawsuits if your teen causes the accident and the car or insurance policy is in your name. Fortunately, thanks to technology, there are many ways that a parent can track the activity of their teen driver and use the information to decrease accidents. Here are a few of the ways you can do this.

Using a GPS-Enabled Tracking Device

One of the ways that you can monitor your teen when they are driving is to use a GPS-enabled tracking device. This device can be plugged into the car's diagnostic port. The information is then transmitted to a website or app that you install on your phone. You can see where your teen is driving, what route they have taken, what speeds they are driving at and if they are braking suddenly. You can even set up alerts that allow you to be immediately notified via text or email if your teen is driving faster than the speed you have input or outside of the boundaries you have selected. Installing and monitoring this type of device will give you a good indication of whether your teen is going where they say they are and whether they are driving in a safe manner. If you notice they are speeding or taking unsafe routes, you can talk to your teenager about it, hopefully helping to prevent an automobile accident in the future.

Installing a Car Cam

Another way to try to reduce the likelihood that your teenager will be involved in an automobile accident is to install a car camera. The car camera is typically placed around the rear view mirror. It has one camera that faces the driver and another that faces the road. Some cameras will record your teenager non-stop when the car is in motion. This can help you catch a teenager who may be playing on their phone or talking to friends, rather than paying attention to the road. Other cameras will only activate and record when there's an abrupt change in the motion of the car, such as swerving, slamming on the brakes, or accelerating quickly. As a parent, you can then review this information and talk to your child, helping to improve their driving skills. Another benefit to the car cam is that it may deter your child from goofing around or giving in to peer pressure. Teens may be more likely to do something they know they shouldn't if they think they can get away with it. But, if they know you are watching, this may curtail this activity and prevent automobile accidents.

Downloading Phone Blocking Apps

The last way that you can reduce the likelihood of a teen being in an automobile accident while driving is to install phone blocking apps on their cell phone. The U.S. Department of Transportation states that 1.6 million car accidents are caused each year due to cell phone use while driving. Unfortunately, many teens are unable to disconnect from their phone while driving, as there is so much going on on their phone. Their phone can ring, they can receive text messages or they can get Facebook updates. It can be tempting to answer the phone or reply to a text message. As a parent, you can install various apps on your teenagers phone that disable all phone activity when they are driving and the car is in motion. Some of these apps rely on your teenager to turn on the app when they are driving. Others allow the parent to remotely enable the app when your teenager is driving. Regardless, phone blocking apps can prevent an automobile accident because of cellphone usage.

Teenagers are more likely to be involved in a car accident than those over the age of 20. However, as a parent, there are many things you can do to reduce the likelihood of your teenager being involved in a car accident. Tracking their activity, installing a car camera and shutting off their phones are just a few of the ways you can work to keep your teenager, and other drivers, safe while they are driving.

If your teen is in an accident that was caused by another driver, contact an automobile accident attorney for advice.