Tag Archive: parent teen driving
How’s My Driving Decals
July 14, 2011
You’ve seen one of them: decals that ask the question: “How’s my Driving?” These used to be more common for trucks, cabs or other public service vehicles — now, several services have popped up that have expanded on the functionality of these decals into letting parents know if their teen drivers are doing a good job of driving.
Here are some of those services:
Teen Road Angel (www.teenroadangel.com) – From their name itself, they are immediately announcing that their focus is towards teens. Upon availing of a membership ($40 annual fees, $20 for additional driver), a specialized decal is created for the driver. When someone calls the number on the decal, a notification is sent to the parent via email, text message or voice mail. They are currently working out deals with insurance companies to hopefully provide discounts for availing of their decals.
JustReportIt (www.justreportit.com) – JustReportIt, the cheapest service in this list comes at only $20 for the first year, and $10 for each renewal. They have achieved this price point by requiring the report entry online-only. There is no special number to call, but relies on people to take note the specialized code assigned to the decal and have them enter it on the report page on their site. While not specifically focused for teens, businesses may also avail of their services and even get their decal customized with a company logo.
Project Ignition Brings out the Best in Teen Driving Safety
June 3, 2011
Since 1983, the National Youth Leadership Council has strived to “create a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world with young people, their schools and their communities through service-learning.” They have been coordinating a lot of initiatives, research/leadership programs and professional development programs for over two decades now.
The one we will be focusing on is Project Ignition, which brings out the best in students, teachers and the community when it comes to creative service-learning programs designed to promote teen driver safety.
What is service-learning?
In their words, service-learning is “learning in action.” Creating a driving safety video about seat belt safety is a service. Sitting in front of a computer, watching that seat belt safety video is learning.
Service-learning is a method of teaching that puts the ball in the hands of the students, teachers and the community. With the freedom to create something based on things that they know their peers will learn from, regardless of the method of delivery, but also inclusive of things one might learn from a classroom creates a service-learning program that will be easier to comprehend. It is learning in action.
So what is Project Ignition, and how does it fit into all this?
Project Ignition is a service-learning grant program focused on providing high schools with great teen driver safety-focused service-learning ideas and giving them the spark necessary to get these ideas happen.
These ideas may engage students, teachers and the community to evaluate how they fit into the whole teen driver safety issue, and what can and must be done for them not only to be the cause of safety, but also influence attitudes and spread the overall message that not only do their peers care, but also the community. The impact of these ideas may change city policies; it may give students a platform for a dialogue with lawmakers they otherwise wouldn’t have got to; it may bring out stories from families of teen driving crashes; at the very least, these ideas might change minds.
The ripple effect achieved by these ideas is like throwing a boulder into a small pond.
What Project Ignition does to get these service-learning ideas started is provide a $2,000 grant for 25 selected schools which may enable the idea to become reality. But it doesn’t stop there: the 10 best out of the 25 schools selected stand a chance of becoming one of the Project Ignition National Leader Schools. Leader schools will be given the chance to expand their original campaign for a second year with a funding of $2,500, along with $5,000 to support their participation in the National Service-Learning Conference in 2012.
How do I get our school’s teen driver safety service-learning idea funded?
Project Ignition’s contact details are on the site. Application for becoming one of the 25 selected schools (in the US or Canada) is open in August, but interested parties may contact them as early as now. http://www.sfprojectignition.com/
Image: statefarm.com
Prepping for a Safe Prom: Communication
April 22, 2011
“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”
-Tony Robbins
Prom season is fast-approaching and many parents are busy helping their teens gear up for one of the most exciting time in their teen’s life. Often overlooked is the need for these preparations to include frank, specific, and honest discussions with teens about how to stay safe and avoid alcohol or drugs on prom night.
Most of the teens shrug off their parents’ advice, believing the discussion stems from parents not understanding that their teens just want to have a fun carefree night. But in reality, this comes from a place of understanding: these parents had proms in their day, and know how easily things can spiral out of control. It’s usually guidance on helping teens avoid decisions they might regret.
Here are some tips on exactly what to discuss:
- Communicate with other parents; then, talk to your teen about their friends’ parents. Being part of a social group does not guarantee that other parents share the idea of a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol. Some parents even choose to “look the other way” when hosting teen get-togethers, reasoning that at least, the teens are in a “safe” environment. This is illegal in any state. Communicate with these other parents to find out if they know where their teens will be after prom night. Even better, if the teens plan to spend time in another teen’s home, find out if the parents are willing to chaperone. Communicate the importance of accounting and locking up alcohol in their homes. When communicating with your teen, make sure that they know that it’s always alright to say “no.” Ask if they will be riding with teens whose parents also have a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol.
- Come up with a safety code. This could be something a teen may text their parent if they are in an uncomfortable situation, and they need an exit. Something like a code to signal, “get me out of here!” On your end, make sure that your teen knows that you will be discrete upon receiving this code. This could also be something that a teen can do to “check in” with their parents. Maybe texting something like, “dinner was awesome!” could mean that the teen has arrived at an after-prom destination safely.
- Discuss the teen’s planned itinerary for the evening, and require the teen to inform you of any changes. Make teens feel they could trust you not to bug them on prom night, if they promise to keep their end of the bargain by checking in and informing you of any changes in the plan.
Doing so will hopefully make prom night a “night to remember,” instead of being “the night when my mom bugged me all night, until I got home.” Pre-plan, communicate and have fun!
State Farm Insurance Teen Driver Programs
March 2, 2011
State Farm has created an Auto Learning Center, which is their driving safety blog. They have several features specifically aimed for teen drivers and parents of teen drivers that reinforce the idea that safe driving begins from home, and that they are more than just an insurance company.
Here are several of their discounts that teen drivers can take advantage of:
Good Student Discount (Up to 25%) – For students who are under the age of 24, high grades are directly proportional to lower insurance rates. This may apply for students under the age of 25 who are taking a four-year course in a college/university.
Defensive Driving Course Discount (Up to 10%) – This is for teens who take a defensive driving course voluntarily. State Farm believes that granting a discount for drivers who are conscious about the way they drive should be rewarded by discounts.
Steer Clear Safe Driver Discount (Up to 15%) – Steer Clear is State Farm’s own version of a driver refresher course. They reward drivers who take up the initiative to apply for their course by a discount of up to 15%.
There are currently three ways to avail of this discount: via an insurance agent, online or via the mobile app. The insurance agent will be able to give teen drivers a Steer Clear kit which includes program materials. The online option allows teen drivers to be able to take up the Steer Clear refresher course in the comfort of their own home. The mobile option is by far the simplest way: simply installing their app (which is available for i-devices or Android devices), they may be able to avail of the Steer Clear Discount.
Teen Driver Safety Devices
November 9, 2010
No matter what rules or boundaries a parent may set for their teen driver, once that teen is out of sight, the parent has to rely on trust and faith that the teen will obey those rules. However teens are teens and a multitude of outside influences can act on them to prevent their adherence to the rules. Fortunately, there are new technologies and driver safety devices available that can allow a parent to monitor their teen’s driving habits and whereabouts at all times.
Here are a few of the existing technologies that help give parents peace of mind:
Sprint’s Family Locator / Verizon’s Chaperone – http://sfl.sprintpcs.com/finder-sprint-family/welcome.htm / http://products.verizonwireless.com/index.aspx?id=fnd_chaperone, additional charges to monthly plan
Teens always have their cell phone with them and, if the teen is using a Sprint or Verizon phone, there are extra services available that allow a parent to track their teen’s location via a phone or computer. This allows a parent to monitor whether or not the teen is where he or she said they would be.
The Determinator Ignition Interlock Device – http://www.stopdwi.com/, $1,595 + shipping and installation fees
This breathalyzer interlock system will prevent the car from starting if the teen’s Blood Alcohol Level is above the legal limit. While expensive, this device guarantees that a teen can never drive drunk and that peace of mind may be well worth the investment..
DriveCam: Teen Safe Driver Program package – http://www.drivecam.com/, $899 plus monthly fees/FREE if insurance is covered by American Family’s auto insurance
This in-car camera system records “risky driving behavior”and sends them to DriveCam for third-party assessment of a teen driver’s skills. The reports are then sent to parents, who can discuss the driving behavior with their teen. Cars insured with American Family’s auto insurance may sign up for the Teen Safe Driver Program, which offers the device/service for free. American Family also claims that footage taken from a car will not be used as evidence and belongs to the purchaser.
CarChip Pro – http://www.carchip.com/Products/8226.asp, $119
CarChipPro is essentially a black box which, once the information is downloaded, provides parents with a history of the teen’s driving. The system may also be set to turn into an alarm if certain speeds are reached or if the driver is braking too hard. Like DriveCam, it is a tool to help discuss a teen’s driving habits by allowing parents to show them the facts, and how to correct their driving behavior.
MyKey – http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29172, only available for Ford models manufactured in 2010
First seen on the 2010 Ford Focus, the MyKey system is designed to help parents set certain limitations on their Ford vehicles for when their teens are driving. With the configurable key, this system is designed for parents who share their cars with teen drivers.
The key features are:
- Speed Control, limiting the top speed of the Ford vehicle to 80 mph.
- Volume control, which allows parents to set a maximum volume level for the car’s radio.
- Beltminder, an alarm system that mutes the radio and plays a chime every 6 seconds, every minute or every 5 minutes when the seatbelt is unbuckled.
- Fuel reminder: alerts the teen that they need to refuel, when fuel is low.
No matter how good these technologies are, they still aren’t as effective as firm rules and boundaries set up by parents who provide a good driving role model for their child. Studies have shown that teens, whose parents have set clear boundaries and follow up with enforcement, have a safer driving record than those teens whose parents don’t set firm rules or who provide a poor role model for safe driving. Parents who want to start such a dialogue with their teens should consider a parent-teen contract before their child begins to drive on their own.