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By Greg Bartlett

For many parents, allowing their teenagers to drive alone creates a situation fraught with fear and questions. How do parents still keep an eye on their children? How do they keep their children safe without completely taking their independence away? How do they keep their children safe without a constant physical presence?

Teenage Drivers & GPS

For many parents and teenagers, GPS car tracking systems answers these questions. These devices allow parents to monitor the safety and location of their children needing to be physically present at all times. Parents receive text messages or email notifications informing them of their child’s whereabouts, speed, and even traffic laws the teenage driver is breaking.

With studies showing that 15 to 19 year-olds experience the most car accidents and statistic indicating most of these crashes result from irresponsibility and are therefore preventable, teenage drivers could use some help. Although GPS systems provide this help, some people feel improvements could be made. The University of Minnesota joins in this quest for creating safer teen drivers with their advanced GPS car tracking system, The Teen Driver Support System. Although these devices are not new, the U of M seeks to build on the clunky original designs and create a more elegant and useable design.

With the U of M design, a teenager starts the car with his or her own, personal key. The car recognizes this key and tracks the teenager’s driving privileges. If the teenager is not allowed passengers and has one, the driver receives a warning. If the warning is ignored, a text message is sent to the parent. These text message also appear on Google Maps so parents can identify exactly where, geographically, their children break rules and laws.

Although many parents and teens may feel that GPS car tracking systems invade teenagers privacy and independence, many adults will feel this invasion a small price to pay for the safety of their teenage drivers and their passengers as well as other drivers on the road. Invasion of privacy now is probably better than grieving over a lost child or counseling a child who is dealing with loss of lives at his or her own hands. Despite the possible frustration it may cause, many parents will probably want to consider purchasing a GPS car tracking system. To neglect to purchase this device could result in years of heartache.