Lil4X

Insurance companies are well aware that drivers ages 16 to 19 represent the highest risk for accidents. They've also determined that each passenger in the teen's car effectively doubles the risk of an accident. The problem isn't just ignorance or irresponsibility, but biological. Prior to age 22, the human brain is still forming - with the last parts to be wired up being in the pre-frontal cortex, the decision-making portion of the brain responsible for hazard detection and risk assessment.

That explains why teens and young adults assume they're immortal . . . and it accounts for hundreds of hours of YouTube video showing kids attempting really stupid stunts you know won't end well. Behind the wheel, even honor students, high-school sports heroes, and the most popular kids in the class often behave in a manner appropriate to a moderately skilled ape. It's not all their fault, it's biology. They have a blind spot in their immature brains that prevents them from seeing the possible consequences of their actions. It's what prompts them to leap from rooftops to the backyard pool - even though success would require an Olympic-class broad jump to finish in the water.

AAA will soon be offering a program that works with your insurance company to track your teen's driving using GPS and wireless technologies. It's called the AAA OnBoard Teen Safe Driver program, and a pilot program is being tested in four states. The idea is to track your teenaged driver via GPS and calculate speed from position and time, then make this real-time data available to parents via a private post on their website. The hope is that this supervision of the kid's driving behavior will lead to parental coaching and, in extreme cases, discipline. The system will allow several types of supervision, the features of which are listed on their website: http://ww1.texas.aaa.com/en-tx/drivi...n-drivers.aspx

Texas is one of the states that will be evaluating the OnBoard system, and parents are lining up. The question seems to be one of parenting: Is this use of an electronic leash/tattletale appropriate? Of course we want to honor our teen's privacy, but are we saying we don't trust them by harnessing an electronic nanny to their car? OTOH, are we willing to participate through ignorance in poor decision-making skills by failing to supervise them? Technology is available now to monitor your child's driving performance, the places they go, and whether or not they are respecting the limits you impose on them. Should you use it ultimately to protect them (and your insurance premiums), or do you demonstrate love and trust by allowing them to drive when, where, and in whatever manner they choose?

Ultimately it comes down to your parenting style. When your child was a youngster, did you hold his/her hand when you crossed the street, or did you let nature have it's way and believe they learn by doing? Are you an active or a passive parent? And which is more important to you - your child's safety or his freedom? Those are questions that parents have to answer every day, and the answers aren't easy. Wrong answers - either way - can lead to a lifetime of regret.

mmarshall

I must have been one of the exceptions, Bob (as my closest friend also was). In high school, he and I both had a lot of respect and fear for the dangers that foolish and aggressive driving caused, and, though not always perfect, generally drove accordingly, even in the 60s Age of Muscle Cars. I'd punch it once or twice if the road was clear and conditions were relatively safe (it was hard to totally resist temptations with those cars), but we both knew that aggressive driving was dangerous. I've also posted on CL, at length, on how many kids and young people I've seen killed and injured over the years in V8 Mustangs, more-so than just about any other vehicle.

On the question of electronic-monitoring, I voted "Don't Know", because I'm not sure of how much good it would do. There probably isn't any legal issue with it, as, legally, driving is a priviledge, not a right (especially for those under 18, who are not adults). But would it actually alter your kid's driving behavior?...that's a good question, since electronic-saavy kids today can figure ways around a lot of parental controls (such as overriding or disabling the systems then connecting them back up at will), or the fact that, once loose of those controls at 18 or 21, he or she will be an adult, on their own, and will probably do what they want to anyway.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Track teens up until legally 18? Sure, lets track the little bast**ds

mrraider

Why not just stick a GPS chip in their necks, a la Walter Bishop on Fringe.

mmarshall

For driving purposes, though, I disagree with this assumption in the article. I was every bit as fit to drive when I was 16 or 17 as I was by the time I reached 22. In fact, if the laws had allowed it, I probably could have safely handled a car even earlier. My father, who knew that, allowed me to solo-drive expensive company-owned VIP Lincolns (I liked luxury-cars as well as the muscle-cars of that era, late 60s) when he worked at Philco-Ford and brought them home at night.

Look at the success of many racing drivers (who are usually very careful on public roads), and you will often find that they started handling vehicles on farm, ranch, or other private roads long before they reached the legal public driving age of 16. Danica Patrick, in interviews, also states she was behind a wheel long before legal age.

Lil4X

Of course there are exceptions - particularly among responsible young men and women, but the vast majority, as indicated by the insurance companies rating systems, still point to teens and young adults as being higher risks for accidents than their parents. If somehow an insurer could test for these exceptions, they would stand to gather a LOT more business from the younger demographic (or their parents). So far no company has found a fool-proof means of discounting their high rates for younger drivers . . . even though it would be to their great advantage to do so. Cut the price, make up the small loss on greater volume. So far, it hasn't happened.

LexFather

What about tracking the elderly?

TangoRed

I was in that age bracket not too long ago and I think that would be very useful if your teen has proved untrustworthy. I wouldn't start that out right from the beginning.

I do have to say this though- this does nothing to stop your teen from just simply jumping in the car with someone else next time they want to sneak out. Where there's a will there's a way.

KevinGS

Yes, tracking a teen is a good idea (now that I'm no longer a teen).

This would be ideal, if I were a parent of a teen today.

Apples and oranges. No need to track the elderly, just start making it mandatory to have them re-test for their licenses annually after a certain age (70?). Yeah, it will be a pain for them, but oh well. (please repeal this rule though when I turn 70, it will be an infringement of my rights )

LexFather

Well what I mean is I think some of them are just as dangerous as teens in regards to driving. I don't believe in all this big brother b.s. What's to stop the teen from putting GPS on a parent who might not be doing what they say they do after work? At what point does it stop?

If you think you need this system maybe your kid doesn't need to be driving. Kids/teens are going to lie, they are going to push boundaries they are TEENS. And TEENS will figure out a way to disable the system or manipulate the system b/c we all were teens, teens can be very resourceful with computers and it just opens another can of worms.

I don't have kids so maybe "I just don't understand" but it seems too many people in society think cameras and GPS is the answer to everything. It is not.

Outrage

Hey, they represent a large voting bloc. You can't do that.

bagwell

yep, as long as the teen is living in the parent(s) house and paying for the kid's food, etc, etc....

If they don't like it they can always get out.

mmarshall

Well, no, that's just it. Most of them can't get out. They can't afford to, and don't have the resources to live on their own.

KevinGS

So then I say put a chip in them and their vehicles. Desperate times calls for desperate measures.

passnu2

iTrader: (33)

NO! NO! NO!!!!!

4 boys in my house and I don't want to track them or "spy" on them. Let your kids grow up and TRUST them. If you can't/don't trust them...then you failed as a parent.