GPS Can Keep An Eye on Your Teen

September 11th, 2010

Article Written by Gregg Bartlett

When a child turns sixteen, parents step into a whole new world. Teen tracking can help them make the adjustment from youth to teenage years with less upheaval in the family and emotional status quo. Teens like to assert independence, and a driver’s license is their ticket into the world of adulthood. Americans traditionally value cultivating that independence, but changes in the world means that parents face many fears that cause them to hold back. GPS tracking technology is a positive change that can parents keep an eye on teenagers.

Teenagers may not like to admit it, but their parents do influence them, and surveys reveal that the greatest influence on teen driving habits is their parents. If parents can convince their teens that they really do believe safe driving is important, their teens will listen. Reforming their own driving habits is the first critical step for parents, who need to give their teens a good example. The next step is monitoring their teens and rewarding good driving, and this is where GPS teen tracking comes into play.

Tracking devices can be easily attached to any car, and the information collected can be extremely useful for parents. The device becomes a miniature chaperon, allowing the young person to go places and spend time with friends while still keeping their parents updated on their activities and whereabouts. The GPS tracking device communicates with satellites to record where the car is at any given time. Then software coordinates that information and relays to parents what they choose to be alerted to, such as when the car exceeds the speed limit or when the car goes to particular locations.

Like any technology, a GPS tracker only does good if it is used properly. Parents should increase or decrease the intensity of their monitoring based on their child’s performance. If the teenager shows consistently that he can handle a certain level of independence, parents can ease up on the frequency of when they check in on their son or daughter. On the other hand, if the teenager is breaking traffic laws or going to off-limits places, parents may need to monitor more closely.

Keeping children safe while allowing them to expand their horizons is a tricky balancing act for parents. GPS teen tracking can assist parents as their children move through a, sometimes scary, but always-exciting stage of life. It’s a less-intrusive way to keep tabs on young drivers, leading to rewards for parents and teens alike.

GPS Tracking Provides Useful Evidence

November 26th, 2008

The L.A. Times recently reported that more and more people are using GPS tracking devices and they had some eye-opening statistics. Four years ago, everyday citizens used an estimated 550,000 GPS tracking units. This year people are using about 15 million tracking units. That is a big jump in the numbers of people using GPS tracking devices.

As a society our discussions about the use GPS tracking technology and the protection of privacy are going to continue for quite a while. Any device that can provide the kind of information that GPS tracking devices provide will be a point of contention for some people, at some point.

Because GPS tracking devices can record the comings, goings, and driving patterns of a car, they are being used to convict or release those accused of crimes that vary from speeding to homicide.

We’ve reported on the case involving 18-year-old Shaun Malone in Sonoma County, California. Malone fought a speeding ticket using evidence from a GPS tracking device that his stepfather bought from Rocky Mountain Tracking and installed on his car. During the trial, an expert vouched for the accuracy of the GPS tracking device. Dr. Stephen Heppe said on the stand that the Rocky Mountain Tracking’s device was “very accurate,” and that it released instantaneous, as opposed to averaged, data.

On the other side of the spectrum, GPS tracking units have provided the data needed to convict people of crimes. Sometimes the GPS tracking units that suspects have purchased and installed on their own cars end up being their undoing. In other cases, law enforcement officials have placed GPS units on a suspect’s vehicle to gather evidence.

GPS tracking can aid in investigative or surveillance activities for criminal and civil cases. Law enforcement officers and private investigators can use GPS tracking devices for surveillance and pinpoint the exact location of a person or item of interest.
Privacy experts are worried, but so far the courts have looked favorably on the advantages the GPS tracking technology can offer to those doing investigative tracking. In 2007, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that using GPS tracking in a cases involving someone suspected of making illegal drugs did not violate the 4th Amendment’s protections against unreasonable search or seizure.

GPS Device Takes on Police Radar

July 25th, 2008

With so many machines and technological devices around us everyday, we tend to trust them implicitly. We assume that they must be right, rarely stopping to consider that some machines are older than others and that these older machines are prone to error.

Such was the case when eighteen-year-only Shaun Malone found himself accused to speeding. According to police radar, Shaun was driving at a speed of 62 miles per hour in a zone where the speed limit was 45 mph. However, because Malone’s parents had installed a Rocky Mountain Tracking GPS device in his car, he was able to plead “Not Guilty” to speeding.

How was that possible, you ask? It was possible because the GPS tracking device employs the every latest technology. The GPS device sends out a signal every 30 seconds, as well as an email alert whenever the driver exceeds the speed of 70 mph. Evidence gathered from the tracking device proved that Shaun Malone was not speeding as the police radar had concluded he was; he was actually driving at the speed limit.

Malone’s parents certainly did not want to catch him speeding, but they probably didn’t imagine that Malone would be unfairly accused of speeding and that the tracking device would be key in proving his innocence.

Visit Rocky Mountain Tracking online to learn more about GPS tracking devices in general. You can also stop by the Teen Tracking page to get more specifics on how a tracking device can help you keep up with your teens—whether they are speeding or not. See related news on Slashdot.

GPS Tracking Keeps Summertime Fun Safe

May 30th, 2008

The weather is getting warmer, temperatures are rising and your teen is probably getting more and more excited about the end of the school year.

There are more daylight hours and we all find more excuses for staying outside, especially those of us who are adolescent and dying to get out of the house. Whether your teens summer plans include trips to the beach, trips to the grocery store (by parental command) or trips to a summer job. if they are driving, you’ll want them to be safe.

Rocky Mountain Tracking offers you two ways to ensure your teens driver’s safety: you can track your teen in real time or review data about driving habits after the fact. When you choose the real time tracking option, you will be able to pinpoint where you teen is driving or where the care is at rest at any time. These devices can also be set to monitor details like seatbelt usage and speeding. If you are less concerned with being able to locate your teen and more concerned with knowing how they handle the car when they are on the road, choose a passive tracking option that will let you download information about driving habits. Visit the Teen Tracking section of the RM Tracking website to learn more.

Giving your teenagers the freedom to travel by car doesn’t mean sending them out without a safety net. In fact, your teens will probably never admit it, but they may feel safer knowing that they are not totally alone.

RMT Recognized for Helping Teen Drivers

April 2nd, 2008

Last week we talked about some good reasons why parents would want to make use of GPS tracking devices to monitor their teen drivers. And this week we have some great news: Rocky Mountain Tracking has been recognized because its great GPS tracking solutions keep teens safe when they are behind the wheel.

Rocky Mountain Tracking was named as a Preferred Vendor for TeenDriverInsurance.com. This Web site not only helps parents find insurance agents in their area who work with families to protect teenage drivers. Parents who install safety devices like GPS trackers can get reduced insurance rates. This is very beneficial since insurance rates tend to go up when the kids hit the teen years.

Because Rocky Mountain Tracking is so pleased about this recognition, it is offering discounts on tracking products to parents who use TeenDriverInsurance.com.

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death among teens, so the danger is very real. Even the most responsible, well-behaved teenagers are not immune to some sort of reckless behavior while driving. The teenage brain is a beautiful thing, but it is not fully matured. Even if they wanted to make only the best decisions, teenagers are not always capable because they have not finished growing up. Young people tend to see themselves as invincible. When they are on the road, they don’t always remember that they do not have years of driving experience and this can lead them to take chances they shouldn’t.

Rocky Mountain Tracking wants to partner with parents to provide teen tracking products that allow teen drivers to get driving experience, while giving them the safety net they need.

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