Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Uh-huh, that’s your kid behind the wheel, and he’s pulling away without you in the car with him. Now, now, don’t have a heart attack. Sure, he still seems like your baby – wasn’t it just yesterday you brought him home from the hospital? – but he doesn’t feel that way. And the driver’s license in his pocket says he can legally drive on his own now. While you were still riding with him, it was easy enough to pretend this wasn’t going to happen, but now you have to face reality. Your son is driving by himself.

But what about all the dangers out there? Will he speed while he’s getting lost in his music? What if he gets distracted with his iPod and swerves across the lanes? And what will this newfound freedom mean for him? Will he get to school and work on time, or will he go someplace else instead? What if he starts driving to areas and visiting friends you don’t approve of? Since you’re not there with him anymore, you don’t know what he’s doing.

Actually, you can know. All it takes is a GPS tracking device. Put it in his car, and you’ll be able to monitor his activities while he drives. The GPS tracking device will inform you when he reaches school or work, and will even let you see his speed and the stops he makes. If you see erratic driving behavior, you can call him or at least confront him when he reaches home, reminding him not to play with his iPod while driving.

A GPS tracking device will also allow you to see if your son really is going where he said he was. When you check the stops he made, you’ll be able to determine how long he was at each stop, so you can see if he was at work the whole time like he claimed, or if he went to his friend’s house for a couple hours instead. You can even be alerted if he’s driving after set hours or outside of predetermined boundaries.

Your son’s new driver’s license, giving him the privilege of driving by himself, doesn’t have to give you a heart attack. You can focus instead on how it will help you – you won’t have to drive him wherever he needs to go, and he can even run errands for you. A GPS tracking device will help you move your son towards safe driving.

By Greg Bartlett

My 16-year-old sister just got her restricted driver’s license this week. She’s been driving for a while now, but only with an adult in the car. Now she can drive by herself during the day and, like most teenagers, she’s enjoying the additional freedom.

But for many parents, when their teenagers reach the point my sister has, they become concerned about what their teenagers are doing. After all, since the teenager can drive without an adult in the car anymore, it’s hard to determine now exactly what is going on behind the wheel. Are your teenagers continuing to drive carefully, like they would if you were in the car with them, or are they becoming careless? Do they ignore speed limits, run stop signs, and take risks?

Teenage drivers are in danger, whether they realize it or not. Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers, and teenagers are more likely in general – perhaps four times as much – to have accidents. Whether it’s because they are over confident, willing to take risks, giving into peer pressure, or just because of inexperience, teenage drivers need protection.

For teenagers, of course, getting a driver’s license is exciting, but it can be a fearful time for parents. They want to ensure the safety of their child, but they know they can’t smother their teenager and always be in the car, too. Even if it was possible on a practical level, the teenager still needs the freedom. But thankfully parents can still protect their child using a GPS device.

With a GPS device, parents can monitor their teenage driver’s car in real-time and can watch everything from the location of the car to its speed and the stops it makes. You can see whether your teenager is speeding or is driving recklessly and can even receive alerts – whether by phone, email, or text message – if your teenager exceeds a certain speed limit. A GPS device will inform you if your child is driving unsafely and needs you to correct the behavior.

Now you can permit your teenagers freedom while still offering the protection and guidance they need during this important transitional phase of their lives. You can help your teenagers change any problematic driving activities before they become dangerous and threaten their lives and the lives of other drivers. With a GPS device, having a teenage driver can be a fun time for both you and your teen instead of a nightmare.

By Greg Bartlett

Careless driving takes the lives of more teen drivers each year than any other cause of death. It’s easy for teens to feel invincible on the road, leading to irresponsible driving habits that can jeopardize their own safety as well as that of their passengers and of other drivers. Parents should be aware of ways they can talk to their teens about safe driving. One way to open the conversation is to monitor a teenager’s driving with a GPS vehicle tracking device.

Teenage Drivers

GPS vehicle tracking allows parents to monitor a teen’s whereabouts as well as speed of the vehicle, fuel usage and number and length of stops. Knowing that the GPS unit is in the car can itself prevent speeding and other irresponsible behaviors and if parents see that their son or daughter is consistently engaging in risky driving behavior, they can knowledgeably address the topic before someone gets hurt.

Both parents and teens who have used GPS vehicle tracking say that it encourages safer driving and better communication. Rather than feeling spied on, many teens say they appreciate knowing that their parents care enough about their safety to be involved.

Without a doubt, parents need to be involved in teaching responsible driving to their teenagers. Although a GPS vehicle tracking device can entail an initial expense, the money spent is worth knowing that teens will be more likely to stop and think about their actions before making unwise decisions. The investment made could save the life of the driver and of others on the road.

By Harriette Halepis

Here’s something that you don’t hear about every day: a retired sheriff’s deputy is attempting to help his son beat a speeding ticket. Why? Simply put, Roger Rude doesn’t believe that his son was speeding when the speeding ticket was issued.

You see, Rude had installed a GPS tracking device in his son’s car a few months ago. Prompted by his son’s urges to “put the pedal to the metal” (Rude does not make any excuses for his son’s love of speed), he installed a GPS tracking device in his son’s car.

This device has the ability to track his son’s whereabouts, but it also has the capability to record his son’s speed. Rude has a computer printout of his son’s location and speed on the day and time in question. The funny thing is that his son was well within the legal speed limit (according to the tracking device) when the speeding ticket was issued.

Needless to say, Rude believe that his son is innocent. Further, Rude believes that his GPS readout will effectively prove that his son was not speeding. Rude and his son will attend a court hearing where the speeding ticket will be contested.

This case just goes to show that a GPS tracking device can do a lot more than help you find your way out of a traffic jam - these devices just may save you a few pennies that would have been spent on speeding tickets.  Rude isn’t trying to “…get a guilty kid off…” he just wants his son “to see that the system works (Sun Journal).“

By Harriette Halepis

A recent study has shown that the human brain is not fully developed until age twenty-five. This means that teenage brains aren’t entirely equipped to make hefty decisions. In fact, the teenage brain is still under the stages of important development when it makes life changing decisions.

Teenagers are asked to shoulder all kinds of responsibilities. From taking care of younger siblings to driving carefully, teens are expected to behave as adults would. There’s only one problem – teenagers aren’t adults no matter how much they may act and look like adults.

Teen Driving

The use of GPS tracking devices to track teenage driving habits has been in the news a lot lately. Some parents and organizations feel as though this is the best way to control teens behind the wheel. Others protest that teenagers should not be attached to a GPS tracking leash.

Those that believe teens should have complete freedom also believe that attaching a GPS tracking device to a teenager’s car is a violation of human rights. However, given the fact that we now know that the teenage brain is not fully developed, should we not pay more attention to those children that are responsible for driving a car?

A Parent’s Choice

As toddlers, parents are given the right to determine what is (and isn’t) good for their children. They are asked to keep track of children, make sure that a child’s needs are met, and keep children from all kinds of harm.

As teenagers, parents are expected to give teens more freedom than toddlers. They are asked to give teens responsibilities, allow them to make their own judgement calls, and to drive on roads filled with hundreds of other people. Shouldn’t a parent have the right to attach a GPS tracker to a teen’s car in order to protect them?

How Much Freedom?

While it’s fine to allow teenagers the freedom to make a lot of choices, how much freedom should teens have? Should parents turn a blind eye to speeding and drinking while driving? Or, should parents take the initiative to control a teen that has just begun to drive?

The fact remains that a teenager’s brain is not comparable to an adult brain. If a parent decides that a GPS tracker may keep their teen out of trouble, shouldn’t this be their right? For now, parents can track teens freely, though this may change as more and more people see GPS tracking as a violation of a teenager’s rights.

By Greg Bartlett

It’s a well-known fact that teen drivers are among some of the most dangerous drivers on the road. More teens die in car crashes each year than from any other cause, and fatality rates among teen drivers are four times higher than those for older drivers. The reasons for these statistics are varied. Much of the problem can be attributed to inexperience in knowing what to do in a risky situation.

What you don't know can hurt everyone!

It’s also true, however, that teens engage in more risky behaviors such as speeding and running red lights than their older and more experienced fellow drivers. Problems like these have caused insurance rates for teen drivers to skyrocket, but fortunately for parents, some insurance companies are beginning to take a second look at the problem. Companies such as SafeCo have begun offering GPS tracking based programs that allow parents to receive an insurance discount for their teens.

The programs use a GPS tracking device installed in the car to monitor teen driving behavior. Parents can set maximum speed limits or mileage limits for their teens and the device will send them a text message if the limits are exceeded. In this way, parents can monitor their teen’s habits and instigate a discussion before an accident happens. They can also view data such as location, stops made, and destination arrival times via online software.

Parents have more reasons than just lower insurance premiums to keep an eye on teen driving habits. More than 7000 teens have car accidents that involve a fatality each year and over 5000 of those deaths were the teens themselves. While some have expressed concerns about privacy, many parents and teens agree that GPS tracking is a basis for trust, not for snooping. Safety is of primary importance and parental knowledge of teen habits is a great way to build trust in the ability of a teen to act responsibly behind the wheel of a car. When mistakes happen, parents can assess the situation knowledgeably and discuss with their teens ways of making a better decision next time.

The moment a teen gets behind the wheel of a car by himself for the first time can be a cause of either pride or panic in the heart of a parent. With GPS tracking, parents can take advantage of the opportunity to allow their sons and daughters the independence they crave, while at the same time providing a cushion of safety and accountability.

By Greg Bartlett

Congratulations. Your teen just successfully passed the driving test and is holding a brand new driver’s license. Now it’s time to put your teen behind the wheel of your car.

What you don't know can hurt everyone!

Does that thought make you nervous? You’re not the only one. Many parents are concerned about the driving safety of their teens, especially since 16-19 year olds are four times more likely to be involved in traffic fatalities than older drivers and adults. Car accidents are the primary cause of death and disability among teenagers. Parents want to make sure that their teenagers are safe and driving carefully, but without staying in the car with them, that doesn’t always seem like a possibility. And teens definitely are not thrilled about their parents coming with them everywhere they go.

But there is a way you can monitor your teen’s driving while not riding around in the car. With GPS monitoring, you can help to ensure that your teenager is not one of the young drivers who gets distracted, makes a bad judgment call, and ends up in the hospital or mortuary.

One GPS monitoring program allows parents to see exactly what their teens are doing, such as where they are, how fast they are driving, whether they’re using seat belts, and when they have to slam on the brakes or twist the wheel suddenly. Parents now have the ability to find out if their teens are driving unsafely and can talk to them about it while still leaving them some amount of freedom to drive on their own as long as they are careful. One parent who uses the system for his son was able to discuss some problem driving patterns he noticed and correct them early.

According to research, teens driving in cars with GPS monitoring tend to be more careful while driving, probably because they know that their parents are watching even though they are not physically present. Parents can still be involved in teaching their teens how to drive by remotely seeing how the teens are driving and correcting any problems.

Letting your teen drive your car doesn’t have to be a nightmare. You can know where your teen is – and where your car is – at all times, plus you can make sure that your teen is using the seat belt and driving within the speed limit. Using GPS vehicle tracking can ensure that your teen’s first years of driving are safe for everyone.

By James Neely

In the world of teen driving accountability is important along with the training that young drivers receive before they obtain their license. The result of these two efforts will bring about safer roads. Who bears the blame when teen drivers are turned out into the streets before they are truly ready? The responsibility for insuring that they are trained correctly ultimately lies with their family because it is those who are with the young drivers the most and can monitor whether or not the student has grasped the concepts and is following through by being putting their training into action.

Once a teen driver is out on their own, a GPS Tracking system can help provide tracking and monitoring for responsible vehicle usage. These systems provide information not just on location, but speed and direction of travel. The accountability factor is built in to the system. The installation of one of these units sends a message that compliance with rule and regulations on the streets is not an option.

With budget cuts and trimmed work forces, local police presence on our streets and roadways is diminished. This means that there are fewer eyes on the roads to help monitor compliance to speed limits and other safe driving practices such as not talking on cell phones and other distractions.

Every time a teen loses his or her life on our streets and highways, we are feel indicted and wonder what could have been done differently. The unknown details of an incident might remain a mystery, but with a GPS Tracking system, at least we have an opportunity to help avoid disaster. Who among us remembers times in our own lives when our youthful inexperience led us to do some inexcusable Things? And if things had been different, lives may have been lost as a result.

Why not do what is necessary to avoid the possibility of tragedy occurring? Why not use technology that is easy to obtain and affordable to help keep our children safe? Whether or not they know of the existence of the system in the car in which they are travelling is immaterial. The GPS car tracking system can be there to help in the event that if something happens, at least a clue to the reasons why will be available to you.

It is up to you to value the lives of your children over the cost of these systems. It only takes a short amount of time to implement one. That short time could be the factor that helps save lives. It is worth it.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how parents in Alabama, along with a local tv news station, got together to get a little information on one teen’s driving habits.

The teenager in question was not told beforehand that his driving habits were going to be monitored using a GPS tracking device. And, as you can imagine, he was not happy when he found out what had happened.

The teen denied going at a rate of 95 miles per hour, as the tracking device indicated. He also did not want to give his parents any information on where he had been one Friday night. The GPS tracking device not only recorded his speed, it also kept track of where he went. One of his stops was at a location that was unknown to his parents.

The tv news station paid for the tacking device and presumably aired footage about this experiment. They had a therapist on hand to provide commentary. The therapist pointed out that parents can expect backlash if they track teen drivers and do not tell them

You may or may not agree with what these parents did. They themselves wondered if they did the right thing in tracking their son’s driving habits without telling him and while cooperating with the media.

However, if you have teen drivers in your house, you may still want to consider installing a tracking device on the vehicles they drive so that you can be aware of how they are driving and where they are going. Unlike the parents in case, you may elect to tell your teen that they are being tracked so that they will be aware and hopefully engage in good driving habits so you need not intervene.

Visit the Rocky Mountain Tracking website the check out teen tracking devices.

One Alabama teenager was not smiling after he found out that his parents had teamed up with a local tv news station to track his driving habits using a GPS tracking device. The tv station paid for the tracking device and the young man’s parents agreed to put it on his truck without telling him. The parents were fairly confident that their son was following the rules of the road. At the same time they said that they were not the kind of parents who would say “my child would never do this or that.”

When they saw the information recorded from the GPS tracking device they learned that they were right not to assume they knew everything about their son’s driving habits.

While he did not have an exhibit continuously reckless driving habits there were a couple of red flags. According to information from the tracking device, he drove at 95 miles an hour once. He also stopped at a location that was unrecognizable to his parents.

Certainly, everyone will not be able to work with a tv news station to get a tracking device. Rocky Mountain Tracking (RMT) has GPS tracking devices available that you can use if you are concerned about your teenager’s driving habits. They are affordable and easy to use. RMT provides comprehensive customer support for its teen tracking devices and all of its other products.