Best Apps to Keep Your Teen Driver Safe

Posted in Uncategorized on March 28, 2017.

Distraction-related car accidents in the United States injure about 1,161 people and kill over eight people every day. Cell phone and electronic device use are major contributors to distraction-related car crashes, accounting for about 14% of all fatal accidents in 2013 (the most recent year for which data is available). Of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal car crashes in 2013, 10% were distracted at the time of the accident. This is the largest proportion of distracted drivers of any age group.

Yet for all the harm cell phones cause, there are apps that can help remedy the situation. If you have a teen driver at home, consider using one of these top-rated apps to keep him or her safe on the road.

TrueMotion

TrueMotion (known as Canary until August 31, 2016) is a parental favorite. TrueMotion gives families tons of information about the driving and cell phone habits of teens on the go. The app measures driving and cell phone use and breaks performances down into a grading scale. As a parent, the app will send you your teen’s grade every time he or she drives. You can analyze the performance and see things such as times where your teen dialed a phone number, opened a text, or scrolled through an app. You get a complete picture of your teen’s driving safety – helping him or her drive distraction free.

DriveSafe.ly Pro

This free app is an excellent solution to texting and driving. It reads text messages and emails out loud in real time to the driver and automatically sends responses without the driver ever having to touch the mobile phone. It has simple, one-touch activation and is compatible with Bluetooth and radio transmitters. DriveSafe.ly is a great option for a teen that does not have enough willpower to save unopened texts and emails for later while driving. If you are worried about your child getting cognitively distracted while driving or disabling the app, however, this may not be the one for you.

Cellcontrol

Cellcontrol lets parents completely eliminate the threat of mobile distractions on the road. This app makes it impossible for the user to text, read, post to social media, play games, take a selfie, access SnapChat, or perform any other inappropriate cell phone task while driving. You control your pre-defined policy of what your teen can and cannot do while driving with a mobile device. The app uses hardware installed in the vehicle that’s fast and simple to implement. Once you load the app to the phone, it activates whenever the vehicle is in motion. It’s easy to customize your options and manage multiple drivers on one account. You’ll also receive driver performance reports and feedback.

Live2Txt

Live2Txt is one of the simplest ways to avoid texting while driving. Simply download the app onto your teens phone, and with a click of a button your teen can block incoming texts and calls while driving. The app will silence the phone from incoming calls and text notifications, and send a customized message alerting the person that your teen is unable to respond.

DriveScribe

DriveScribe blocks incoming calls and texts when the vehicle is moving at a certain speed, but it does much more than that – it uses GPS technology to notify drivers when they are driving too fast, breaking local road laws, and using a device unsafely. It scores the driver after each trip, and compares the score to other drivers across the U.S. DriveScribe rewards good drivers with points, which add up and can be redeemed for gift cards, valid with popular businesses including Amazon and restaurants. This free app is perfect for competitive teens and those that perform best using an incentive system.