Although telematics or black box technology is becoming more commonplace among young drivers, many still have their reservations. Often described as a form of ‘Big Brother’ monitoring on driving behaviour, for young people, the decision of whether or not to subject their first few years driving to potential scrutiny is voluntary, but is that set to change?
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US, the fatal crash rate per mile driven for 16- to 19-year-olds is nearly three times the rate for drivers ages 20 and over. But what will make teenagers agree to have their driving monitored, especially by their parents?
“Studies show new drivers who start learning in their 20s have lower crash rates than 16-19 year olds. And other studies show that the brains of teenagers haven’t fully developed yet. What we take from this is that when teens are learning to drive, they are not only building their experience, they are building their maturity,” Steve Bishop, License+ Team Lead at San Francisco-based Automatic Labs, told Automotive World.
Teen driver monitoring
General Motors believes the public view on this is changing, and its all-new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu will debut Teen Driver, a system that provides parents with a tool to help encourage safe driving habits for their kids, even when they are not in the car with them. The system mutes the audio of the radio or any device paired with the vehicle when front seat occupants aren’t wearing their safety belts, and it gives audible and visual warnings when the vehicle is traveling faster than preset speeds.
Automotive World spoke to GM’s Safety Engineer MaryAnn Beebe, who explained that the OEM developed the Teen Driver system so parents could use it as a teaching tool with their kids. “They can discuss and reinforce safe driving habits,” she noted. “As a mother of two, I know anything that has the potential of keeping one’s family safer is of great value to parents.
The Teen Driver feature that Chevrolet is debuting on the Malibu is an additional tool that can help promote safer driving for teens. Beebe explained that the OEM wanted to understand what factors can lead to teen crashes, and how it can address some of those factors through the technology. She noted, “For instance, driver inexperience is the leading cause of teen crashes. Teen Driver automatically turns on active safety features such as Forward Collision Alert, Forward Collision Braking and Side Blind Zone alert that can help an inexperienced driver avoid a crash. Additionally, the audio volume limit helps to keep teens more focused on their driving and the speed warning helps to remind teens to watch their speed.
“Research also shows that seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and fatalities by about half. Teen Driver encourages teens to wear their seat belts by muting the radio until the driver and front passenger are buckled. Encouraging teens to buckle up is a very important way to reduce crash-related injuries and fatalities.”
To use Teen Driver, a parent needs to enable the feature by creating a PIN in the Settings menu of their available MyLink system, which then allows them to register their teen’s key fob. The system’s settings are turned on only to registered key fobs.
Addressing whether teens want their driving monitored, Beebe stressed that Chevrolet understands that for teens, obtaining their driver’s license is a big milestone. “It’s an important step as they gain more independence. We also believe that many teens understand that driving is an important responsibility. While the Teen Driver report card gives parents information on their teen’s driving behaviour, it also gives teens the opportunity to show their parents that they have been driving responsibly and gain their parents’ trust.”
Distracted at the wheel
Distracted driving among teens and other age categories has been on the rise for many years, particularly attributable to the increased use of and reliance on consumer electronics devices. However, recent research has concluded that distracted driving amongst teens is likely much more serious a problem than previously known, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
AAA is therefore hopeful that strict laws for limiting wireless devices and passengers in the car can help improve teen safety. The agency notes that teens are less experienced behind the wheel, and can benefit from laws that remove risks in the learning-to-drive process, but parents also have a role to play. The AAA spokesperson continued, “We hope this research is a wake-up call for parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of distracted driving, and we hope that they will be good role models in the car as well by putting down their phones.”
As well as parents keeping an eye on their kids, it is also becoming increasingly common for developments in active safety technology to enable safe driving for teens. Beebe continued, “While airbags and seat belts are important technologies to help protect an occupant during a crash, active safety features are also important because they can help drivers, especially young, inexperienced drivers, to avoid a crash altogether or lesson its severity.”
Rachel Boagey
