It’s normal for parents to be worried about their kids as they start driving. They are becoming more independent and taking on a big responsibility for a kid their age. As soon as they get a teen drivers license they’re all on their own.
The scenario can be nervewracking for teens as well. They don’t see why their parents are freaking out since it was bound to happen sooner or later. And besides, they wouldn’t have gotten a drivers license if they couldn’t drive, right?
Despite all of the driving lessons, the tests and many, many car rides together, there comes a day when a teenager can finally head out alone. It’s great in that it provides mobility and is a milestone for maturity, but it’s also a curse in that there are legitimate safety concerns.
Thanks to technology, it doesn’t have to be quite as worrisome when a teenager finally sets off on their own. Modern-day devices make it possible to track your teen as they drive for added assurance that they’re being safe.
Here’s a quick look at five of the best apps and devices for tracking teen drivers.
TrueMotion Family Safe Driving
This free app gives users a “complete picture” of the driving habits and capabilities for every driver in the family. It tracks phone use while driving, as well as texting, aggressive handling, speeding and all of those other driving downfalls that can compromise safety. You can even turn it into a friendly competition and rank the drivers.
According to reviews, the scoring system effectively helps drivers break their bad habits. It’s based on a 100-point scale - the higher your score is the safer you are driving.
RoadReady
RoadReady can function as a driver’s training tool, as well as a device for making sure that kids are staying safe behind the wheel. Many parents use the app to easily log trips and track supervised driving time that’s required for a teen to get a license. There are even tools for logging weather conditions. The goal is to provide parents with suggestions on how to improve their teen’s driving skills.
Available: iPhone , Android app to come.
MamaBear
Texting is one of the biggest distractions for young drivers, and it can be a deadly mistake. The MamaBear app isn’t just for tracking behavior behind the wheel, but it does have some cool features that will keep your kids safe on the road.
The text monitoring feature provides alerts so that you can tell if teens are texting while driving. You can also set speed limits and receive warnings whenever your teen driver exceeds them. The app gives you arrival and department notifications as well so you are reassured your teen got where they were going safely.
Life360
This app has a free and paid version (the Driver Protect plan cost $7.99 a month), but the peace of mind is worth the price. Life360 Driver Protect is one of today’s most popular teen driver tracking apps. In addition to driver reports that detail speeds, risky behavior, hard braking and acceleration, the app also has location sharing and a crash detection feature. With Life360 Driver Protect you’ll be the first to know if your teen was involved in a fender bender.
Automatic
Automatic dubs itself the “connected car assistant.” The idea is that improved vehicle monitoring can help teens and adults drive more safely and worry less. The features include a Driver’s Score with a customizable dashboard that provides insight into where improvements can be made. There’s also crash detection and location monitoring.
The Automatic system requires an adapter that can easily be installed by plugging it into the ODB port. The adapter will automatically sync with your phone to store information in the Automatic CCA app. One thing that sets this option apart is its ability to integrate with other apps.
Have you used a tracking app that’s helped your teen improve their driving skills? Let us know what you think and which apps deserve a spot on our list!
*This article was updated on 7/7/2020