Getting their driver’s license is a proud moment for a teenager. For some, it’s the first time they will have the freedom to find adventure without taking their parents or being bound to a bus system. As parents, you want to give your kids the freedom to make choices- but sometimes you need a way to make sure they’re making good ones.
The Center for Disease Control lists motor vehicle accidents as the most common cause of death for American teens. The 15-24 age group is 14% of the country’s population and is responsible for 30% of the total cost of motor vehicle injuries for males (females in the same age groups fall slightly below at 28%). That’s a sobering statistic. Teenagers are more likely to speed, to skip their seat belts, to get distracted by passengers, and to drink and drive.
Heidebreicht sympathizes with your worries about your family’s safety. That’s why we’re excited by the new “Teen Driver” system GM is rolling out for their 2016 Chevy Malibu. While teenagers themselves may find the system restrictive, parents will breathe a sigh of relief at what the feature offers.
To begin, your teenager has a special key fob that tells the car they’re driving. (This lets you have your own key fob and be exempt from the monitoring.) As soon as the engine starts the technology tracks how much your child drives, their speed, and how many times they hit the brakes sharply enough to activate the Malibu’s collision avoidance braking system. You can set the car to disable the sound system until a seatbelt is engaged and turn the stereo off if any passenger removes their seatbelt while the car is moving. All this information is compiled in a driver’s “report card” which parents can check any time.
With this system you will be able to see if your teenager is telling the truth about how they drive and help them choose safer driving practices. The information is only accessible to you, not your insurance, so you can track your teen without worrying about causing a spike in policy rates.
For those whose teens accuse them of mistrust, tell them this: solid research backs systems like the Teen Driver technology as a way to teach skills. The CDC suggests a graduated learner system as a way to reduce accidents among young people. Some schools offer Driver’s Education, but most teenagers in Michigan are taught to drive by a relative without additional help. Having the Teen Driver system installed in your car is a sign that you are willing to engage with your child, to watch over them while they master skills outside your immediate presence.
Some teenagers may even find the monitoring system a relief. Many accidents are caused by teen drivers with friends in the car, likely because of the peer pressure to be “cool” instead of safe. The Teen Driver system gives your child a social out when their friends are trying to encourage reckless driving habits. They can blame the system instead of explaining that they aren’t comfortable driving faster. No one will want to drive without music just because one person doesn’t have a seatbelt on, so it’s likely everyone will wear theirs. Just being sure your teen is using the seatbelt should be a huge relief, since safety belts cut crash-related injuries in half.
The Heidebreicht family wants all our customers to arrive home safely. Bring your new driver to our showroom in Macomb County to learn more about the Teen Driver system.
